Penang DAP chairman Steven Sim has urged party members to remain united and support secretary-general Loke Siew Fook following the leader’s defeat in the Negeri Sembilan state election.
Sim, who is also DAP deputy secretary-general, said the party must stay strong in facing what he described as more challenging political battles ahead.
He said DAP remained proud of Loke’s decision to defend the Chennah state seat despite knowing from the beginning that retaining the constituency would be a difficult task.
“We must continue to stand united and firmly support Loke’s leadership as secretary-general in facing challenges that I believe will become tougher,” he told reporters during a Madani sales programme in Penang.
Loke’s loss in Chennah was among the major surprises in the election after he was defeated by Barisan Nasional’s MCA candidate Siow Kong Choon, who won the seat with a majority of 688 votes.
DAP also lost the Repah state seat to MCA, but managed to retain nine other constituencies in Negeri Sembilan.
Sim thanked voters who continued to support DAP and helped the party maintain its remaining seats, while acknowledging that the party and Pakatan Harapan (PH) needed to review the election results and learn from the setback.
He said every election provides important lessons that should be used by the party and coalition to improve future strategies.
When asked whether PH could experience a similar outcome if the Penang state election were held soon, Sim did not comment directly on the coalition’s prospects.
However, he stressed that elected representatives must continuously work to maintain public confidence, adding that election preparations should begin immediately after polls end rather than only when the next election is approaching.
