By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, June 4: The Democratic Action Party (DAP) does not exist to curry favour with those in power, said Michael Kong, special assistant to DAP Sarawak chairman Chong Chieng Jen, in response to Kota Sentosa assemblyman Wilfred Yap’s latest criticism, which he described as a display of political insecurity and desperation.
Kong said Yap’s remarks urging DAP Sarawak to abandon what he called “toxic politics” reflect a fundamental misunderstanding of the role of a responsible opposition.
“In trying to paint DAP as obstructionist, Yap conveniently ignores the role of a principled and constructive opposition — one that scrutinises, challenges, and proposes alternatives for the betterment of Sarawak and its people,” Kong said in a press statement today.
He emphasised that DAP’s presence in the Sarawak Legislative Assembly is not based on provocation but a sense of duty to speak up for everyday Sarawakians — particularly on issues involving public funds, State resources, and long-term development planning.
Citing the recent debate on the proposed new Kuching International Airport, Kong pointed out that DAP Sarawak’s alternative proposal to relocate the existing air force base and expand the current airport was not an attempt to block development, but a more cost-effective and practical approach in the people’s interest.
“But of course, SUPP would rather cheer blindly to further enrich the rich than question wisely,” he asserted, taking aim at the Sarawak United Peoples’ Party’s (SUPP) close alignment with the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) leadership.
He also reminded Yap that DAP had supported the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) motion during the late Chief Minister Pehin Sri Adenan Satem’s administration in 2017, with all DAP lawmakers voting in favour.
“That is what principled politics looks like — standing united with the government for the common good of Sarawak,” he said.
Kong accused SUPP leaders of resorting to “petty blame games and tired narratives” instead of engaging in mature, policy-driven discourse. He described the repeated attempts to shift blame onto DAP for national and State issues as “intellectually lazy and downright dishonest.”
“The people of Sarawak deserve leaders who ask tough questions, challenge wasteful spending, and offer better solutions — not cheerleaders who clap at every announcement without thought or analysis,” he added.
Regardless of the political attacks, Kong reaffirmed that DAP will continue to champion justice, transparency, and accountability in Sarawak.
“Let Yap and his fellow SUPP members call us names and throw labels. DAP will stand firm in our duty to the people,” he concluded.
Yap, in a statement on Monday (June 2), had accused DAP of refusing to confront its own inconsistencies and instead shifting blame by accusing others of misleading the public — a tactic he said was outdated and ineffective. — DayakDaily
