Divide-and-rule does not apply, there is only one team in DAP, says Anthony Loke
DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke Siew Fook speaks at the party’s Selangor convention in Klang on January 18, 2025. — Picture by Raymond Manuel
Sunday, 18 Jan 2026 1:05 PM MYT
KLANG, Jan 18 — DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke today denied ever mentioning any “Team A, Team B” issue in the party to anyone.
He said he has never spoken about the matter to Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
“Firstly, I have never spoken to him about this issue, so I don’t know where this is coming from.
“As I mentioned, there is no different teams in DAP, there is only one team in DAP. Yeo Bee Yin is my national public secretary, she is the key leader in the CEC how is it possible that there are different teams in the CEC?
“So there is no such thing,” Loke told reporters after opening the party’s Selangor state convention at the Centro Mall here.
He also said no one can divide and rule DAP, and this approach is not applicable in the party.
“I do not know what is his intention,” he added, referring to Zahid.
“I’m not sure whether it’s a slip of the tongue or it’s intentional, I don’t know, I cannot say on behalf of him, but I just want to remind everyone divide and rule is not applicable in DAP, you can’t divide and rule us as far as we are concerned.
“I took every approach in my leadership, anything discussed in Cabinet or whatever political decision we made with other parties, with other leaders, I always report back to the CEC, and there is no trust deficit within the DAP as far as I’m concerned,” he said.
He added that if there were any misinformation, anyone unsure of anything should ask him directly.
Asked about the party bulldozing its agenda, Loke said every matter has to be approved by the Cabinet.
“We have proven ourselves that we are trying as hard as possible to ensure that this government works and it’s not true that we tried to bulldoze our agenda, because anything that we need to implement as a government you need the Cabinet to decide, you need the Cabinet to approve it, so there is no question of me bulldozing anything,” he said.
Loke also clarified that the July 12 DAP convention will be held to review the party’s role within the government – not to quit the government – and assured continued support for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
“I said our role within the government, reviewing our role within the government is different from quitting the government.
“Please be very, very careful about the remarks okay?” he added.
Loke had earlier said in his opening remarks at the convention that it did not make sense for him to disclose ‘Team A, Team B’ matters to other parties.
Yesterday, Zahid made headlines after claiming that Loke had conveyed the matter to him.
***
Zahid clarifies ‘Team B’ remarks after Loke rejects claims of factions in DAP
BN chairman Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said his earlier remarks were not meant to suggest factions within DAP, following a clarification by party secretary-general Anthony Loke. — Bernama pic
Sunday, 18 Jan 2026 4:32 PM MYT
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 18 — Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi today clarified that there is no Team A or Team B within DAP, stressing that his earlier remarks were not intended to suggest internal divisions within the party.
The deputy prime minister said the clarification came after DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke denied the existence of factions within the party at the Selangor DAP Annual Convention 2026 in Klang today, adding that he agreed with the explanation.
Ahmad Zahid said the issues raised earlier did not reflect DAP’s official stance, but were the views of a small number of party members responding to remarks by Umno Youth chief Datuk Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh.
“What I meant in my speech at the closing of the 2025 Umno general assembly was to point out that there were differing statements from a small segment of DAP leaders on the issue,” he told a media conference after the People’s Progressive Party annual general meeting here today.
Yesterday, Ahmad Zahid was reported as saying in his winding-up speech at the 2025 Umno general assembly that conflicting statements from DAP’s leadership had come from a so-called ‘Team B’.
The Umno president said the matter had been explained to him by Loke and did not represent the position of DAP’s top leadership, but was merely a minor difference of opinion within the party.
He said his earlier remarks were meant as an explanation and not as confirmation of the existence of any factions within DAP.
“If that statement caused offence to DAP, I withdraw the reference. It was never my intention to suggest that there are two camps within the party,” he said.
He also reminded that differing views within a party should not be taken as its official position, especially when they do not amount to party policy or final decisions.
Earlier, Loke, in his speech officiating the Selangor DAP Annual Convention 2026, denied claims that he had mentioned the existence of a ‘Team B’ within DAP allegedly issuing statements contrary to the party’s leadership. — Bernama
Zahid clarifies ‘Team B’ remarks after Loke rejects claims of factions in DAP
BN chairman Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said his earlier remarks were not meant to suggest factions within DAP, following a clarification by party secretary-general Anthony Loke. — Bernama pic
Sunday, 18 Jan 2026 4:32 PM MYT
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 18 — Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi today clarified that there is no Team A or Team B within DAP, stressing that his earlier remarks were not intended to suggest internal divisions within the party.
The deputy prime minister said the clarification came after DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke denied the existence of factions within the party at the Selangor DAP Annual Convention 2026 in Klang today, adding that he agreed with the explanation.
Ahmad Zahid said the issues raised earlier did not reflect DAP’s official stance, but were the views of a small number of party members responding to remarks by Umno Youth chief Datuk Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh.
“What I meant in my speech at the closing of the 2025 Umno general assembly was to point out that there were differing statements from a small segment of DAP leaders on the issue,” he told a media conference after the People’s Progressive Party annual general meeting here today.
Yesterday, Ahmad Zahid was reported as saying in his winding-up speech at the 2025 Umno general assembly that conflicting statements from DAP’s leadership had come from a so-called ‘Team B’.
The Umno president said the matter had been explained to him by Loke and did not represent the position of DAP’s top leadership, but was merely a minor difference of opinion within the party.
He said his earlier remarks were meant as an explanation and not as confirmation of the existence of any factions within DAP.
“If that statement caused offence to DAP, I withdraw the reference. It was never my intention to suggest that there are two camps within the party,” he said.
He also reminded that differing views within a party should not be taken as its official position, especially when they do not amount to party policy or final decisions.
Earlier, Loke, in his speech officiating the Selangor DAP Annual Convention 2026, denied claims that he had mentioned the existence of a ‘Team B’ within DAP allegedly issuing statements contrary to the party’s leadership. — Bernama
No comments:
Post a Comment