THE Registrar of Societies (RoS) has ordered DAP to hold another party polls to elect its central executive committee (CEC) members as the last election is not valid.

Director-general of RoS Mohammad Razin Abdullah said the decision was based on RoS finding that DAP’s September 29, 2013 elections were not held in accordance with the law.

“With regard to complaints by DAP members about the CEC re-election process held on Sept 29, 2013, the RoS is of the opinion that the appointment of the CEC and main office-bearers through the re-election is legally invalid.

“The re-election should have been based on the delegates’ list used for the DAP CEC election held on Dec 15, 2012 involving 2,576 delegates from 854 branches,” he said in a statement today.

The DAP CEC will convene for an emergency meeting at 2pm tomorrow at Jalan Loke Yew in Kuala Lumpur.

In an immediate response to the RoS decision, DAP national legal bureau chairman Gobind Singh Deo said the party had not received official communication from RoS concerning the DAP CEC.

“There are various options available (to the party) but it’s best that we study the official letter of the ROS first.                        

“So I hope RoS will write to us soon to convey its decision to us,” he told The Malaysian Insight.

DAP’s problems with RoS started after a technical glitch caused irregularities in the vote count during the party polls in December 2012.

The mistake was later rectified but unhappy members filed complaints with RoS, leading to the elected CEC being declared invalid. DAP held a re-election in September 2013.

Due to the uncertainties with RoS, there were worries DAP candidates might not contest in the 2013 general election under the party logo. The DAP candidates were however allowed proceed to the polls unchallenged.

DAP’s RoS troubles were thought to be over until they were brought up by Prime Minister Najib Razak’s press secretary, Tengku Sariffuddin Tengku Ahmad in his recent attacks against DAP. He had reminded the opposition party that its CEC was not even recognised.

Following Sariffuddin’s remarks, Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi earlier this week said a decision might be made soon concerning the validity of the DAP CEC.

Gobind had recently pointed out that RoS had recognised the DAP CEC elected on September 29, 2013 and that it had allowed the CEC to carry out its functions and duties in the administration of party in accordance with the party constitution.

Gobind added that the CEC had proceeded to carry out its duties without objection from RoS. – July 7, 2017.