KUALA LUMPUR: The DAP Central Executive Committee (CEC) will decide on action against its two leaders after they received awards, decorations, and medals of honour from the Yang Dipertua of Sabah Tun Juhar Mahiruddin yesterday.
DAP secretary general Anthony Loke informed that he had advised both of them to obey the party's policy, but they had explained that their names had already been published in the list of award recipients, even though they had not applied.
"Without nominations, (Datuk) Chan (Foong Hin) said both names was gazetted in the recipient's list. They have flouted the party's principles by accepting the awards.
"Therefore, this matter will be referred and discussed at the next CEC meeting," he was quoted as saying in a news portal report yesterday.
Apart from Chan who is also the Kota Kinabalu member of Parliament and Sabah DAP Policy Bureau chief, another DAP leader who also received an award is the Luyang assemblyman who is also Sabah Industrial Development and Entrepreneurship Minister, Datuk Phoong Jin Zhe.
Both of them received the Panglima Gemilang Darjah Kinabalu (PGDK) which carries the title Datuk in conjunction with 70th birthday of Yang di-Pertua Negeri Tun Juhar Mahiruddin at Istana Seri Kinabalu in Sabah.
Yesterday, Chan said that it was difficult for him to refuse the awarding of the medal as it was awarded by the state government.
"I am fully aware of the party's policy which does not allow all its members to receive any honours and that policy has not changed since 2018. Members are only allowed to receive medals after retiring from DAP.
"However, it is difficult for me to refuse this award because it was given by the state government and I myself am from Sabah. So, I am ready with any decision that the party leadership will take on me," he said.
The latest DAP leader who was given an award was party veteran Tan Sri Lim Kit Siang for Darjah Kebesaran Panglima Setia Mahkota (PSM) in conjunction with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah's 64th birthday celebrations at the Istana Negara.
However, his acceptance of the award was made after he fully retired from his duties as a politician.