KOTA KINABALU, Oct 27 — DAP’s policy prohibiting elected representatives from accepting honorific titles while in office still stands, said party secretary-general Anthony Loke.
He clarified that no exceptions are given to Sabahan elected representatives from DAP regarding the acceptance of honorific titles conferred on them.
“It is not to say (an) exception. The policy still stands, but the Sabah DAP elected representatives have explained it was given to them by the Head of State of Sabah, without them asking.
“This is something which, of course, we know (of) that certain states offered our elected representatives honorific titles without them applying for it, not only in Sabah as we also have another case in Selangor where the exco member from DAP was also conferred a Datukship last year, and the Sultan of Selangor openly mentioned that he wants to confer him.
“So in that case, it was not applied and they have explained. And we have taken certain measures within the party. As far as this policy is concerned, as I mentioned to them, I will raise it at the next party congress for the members to debate whether we should review the policy.
“As of now, right now, of course, the policy stands. All the five DAP federal cabinet ministers, are without title, except the deputy minister from Sabah. I don’t have a title. I’m not a Datuk... I am just an Encik,” said Loke, who is Transport Minister, after officiating DAP Sabah’s ordinary convention at the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC) here today
Loke said this when asked about DAP’s policy and whether the party’s Sabah elected representatives were given an exception for this policy.
He stressed that DAP leaders are in government to serve the people.
“DAP leaders are not in government to ask or to fight for titles. With or without titles, we just do our work. We do not want our people fighting for all these titles or applying (for the titles) themselves.
“That is not allowed. In the case of some of them, it was conferred to them without them applying it and we have to work out a mechanism in the future,” he said.
A few years ago, the late Datuk Stephen Wong, Datuk Jimmy Wong and Datuk Frankie Poon received their titles, while last year, Datuk Ginger Phoong and Datuk Chan Foong Hin were reprimanded by the party’s central executive committee (CEC) for accepting the title awarded to them.
Likas assemblyman Tan Lee Fatt was the latest DAP leader to be conferred the Panglima Gemilang Darjah Kinabalu (PGDK) award, which carries the title ‘Datuk’ in conjunction with the 71st birthday celebration of Yang di-Pertua Negeri Tun Juhar Mahiruddin on October 5. — The Borneo Post
