DAP no longer right platform to serve people - Hiew?

Luyang state assemblyman Dr Hiew King Cheu.

Sabah's DAP assemblyman for Luyang Dr Hiew King Cheu has quit the party and said he would serve as an independent.

"I have decided to resign from the party and will be sending my resignation letter by email to headquarters later," he said when contacted.

Hiew, who resigned as adviser to the party's state liaison committee last month, said he would be an independent assemblyman effective today.

Meanwhile, Hiew when contacted by Bernama, said the party was no longer the right platform to serve the people, particularly in Luyang.

He said after careful consideration and discussion with several quarters, he decided to leave the DAP.

"As an opposition assemblyman, it is not that easy to bring in the so-called progress in my constituency (Luyang)," he told reporters in a press conference here today.

On whether he would align himself with the Barisan Nasional (BN) or become BN-friendly, Hiew said: "You could say that...but I am an independent assemblyman".

He said he had already emailed his resignation letter to the DAP headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.

At the 13th General Election, Hiew won the Luyang state seat with a majority of 8,676 votes.

Meanwhile party member Jeffrey Kumin said that everybody knew Hiew was going to leave the party and "it was just a question of when".

"He has yet to give us his resignation letter but I guess it will come sooner or later since he already announced it," said Jeffrey who is also political secretary to the Sabah DAP Chief Jimmy Wong.

Jeffrey said the party would likely discuss about Hiew's resignation in Kuala Lumpur tomorrow because all the leaders from the state will be there for the Central Executive Committee meeting on Sunday.

Hiew is the first assemblyman to resign from a party after the May 5 polls.

His decision to go against his party by supporting Klias assemblyman Datuk Lajim Ukin as Sabah opposition leader, has caused a split but he resigned the post as adviser before a disciplinary action could be taken against him.

Speculations of his future in the party intensified when he withdrew from the DAP Central Executive Committee re-election and declined to attend the meeting on Sunday.

Tora Malaya...