DAP will conduct a comprehensive post-mortem following its bruising performance in the 16th Negeri Sembilan state election, which saw party secretary-general Anthony Loke lose the Chennah state seat in one of the biggest upsets of the polls.
DAP national chairman Gobind Singh Deo said the party accepted the election outcome with humility and would carefully assess the reasons behind the setback while listening to the concerns raised by voters.
“We thank every voter who supported Pakatan Harapan (PH) and DAP. We also acknowledge the defeat of our secretary-general Anthony Loke in the Chennah state constituency after a closely fought contest,” he said in a statement on Sunday.
Gobind described Loke as a leader who had served the party and the people with distinction for many years, adding that DAP remained confident he would continue contributing despite the defeat.
“The message from the voters is clear. DAP has faced challenges and defeats before. We will conduct a thorough assessment, listen carefully to the people’s concerns and work hard to regain their confidence and support,” he said.
In Saturday’s election, Barisan Nasional (BN) emerged as the largest bloc with 18 state seats, followed by PH with 11 and Perikatan Nasional (PN) with seven.
DAP retained nine of the 11 seats it contested but suffered the high-profile loss of Loke, a major blow for the party’s leadership.
Gobind, who is also the Digital Minister, said DAP respected the mandate given by the people and congratulated those elected to form the new Negeri Sembilan government.
“We hope they will govern responsibly and always place the interests of the people first,” he said.
