KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 26 — The two Sabah DAP leaders, who accepted honorific titles in breach of party policy, received a strong reprimand for accepting the state awards that carry the "Datuk” title earlier this month.

DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke said the party’s central executive committee (CEC) determined that the actions of the two elected representatives were in violation of the party’s policy, which prohibits accepting any titles while serving as elected representatives.

"Therefore, the CEC strongly reprimanded Chan Foong Hin and Phoong Jin Zhe for violating the party’s policy.

"The DAP CEC reiterated our position that all elected representatives should focus on serving the people and should only be considered for any awards after retiring from elected office,” said Loke in a statement on his official Facebook today.

He was responding to the issue of Chan and Phoong going against DAP’s policy on receiving state or federal awards while serving as elected representatives.

Chan, who is the Kota Kinabalu MP, is a Sabah DAP committee member, while Phoong is the Luyang assemblyman as well as the party’s state secretary.

Loke, who is also the transport minister, said the issue of the two Sabah DAP leaders were among the matters discussed by the CEC during its meeting yesterday.

He added that DAP also expressed its gratitude to the Rulers and Yang di-Pertua Negeri for all award conferment and will continue to honour the royal institution through service to the country and people.

On October 7, it was reported that Chan, who is the state’s deputy agriculture and food security minister, and Phoong had received the Panglima Gemilang Darjah Kinabalu (PGDK) award in conjunction with Sabah governor Tun Juhar Mahiruddin’s birthday.

In an immediate response, Loke reportedly said DAP’s CEC will determine the appropriate action to be taken against the duo who had accepted titles today in breach of party policy.

In 2018, DAP formalised a policy for party leaders to decline titles while still in active politics, after four members received state honours carrying the title of "Datuk”.

Loke said at the time that the party’s CEC decided to put the "decades-old” practice into writing after the award recipients claimed ignorance of it.