KUALA LUMPUR (Aug 31): Former international trade and industry deputy minister Ong Kian Ming announced his resignation from the DAP on Monday without stating any reason for leaving the party he had been with since 2012.

"I am not planning to join another political party in the near future and I will not be seeking to contest as a candidate in the next general election (GE16)," Ong said in a Facebook post addressed to the party's secretary general, Anthony Loke.

"I will continue to serve the interests of the country through other means including on my podcast (Are We OK), through my various advisory positions and by working with other like-minded people with common interests," he added.

The former DAP member of Parliament said he is keeping his pledge to support his friend Khairy Jamaluddin if the former Barisan Nasional Cabinet minister contests in GE16.  

"I remain committed to fulfil the promise I made on the 10th of January 2026, to help Khairy Jamaluddin campaign in GE16, if he is given a seat to run in," Ong said.

He said he was grateful to have been given the opportunity to contribute to the party and the country in different ways including as the MP for Serdang (2013 to 2018) and MP for Bangi (2018 to 2022), and as deputy minister of international trade and industry (2018 to 2020).

Ong had also served as an appointed member of the DAP Central Executive Committee (2019 to 2022) and as an elected member of the DAP Selangor state committee (2018 to 2024).

Ong thanked former DAP lawmaker Tony Pua for inviting him to join the party and "for providing me with the guidance on how to best serve the party and the country over the past 14 years as a DAP member".

He also thanked Lim Guan Eng for providing him with the opportunity to be nominated as a candidate for the Serdang and Bangi seats and as a deputy minister during Lim's time as secretary general of the DAP.