DAP tonight reiterated there was no reason for the Registrar of Societies (RoS) to call for party re-elections, adding it will seek an urgent meeting with the authorities over the matter.

Party secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said they were stunned by the RoS decision which he said was unfounded and based on false assumptions.       

“We wish to reiterate that DAP is not afraid of holding party elections.

“The term of the current CEC elected in 2013 is expiring and we are in the process of organising the congress to elect a new CEC (central executive committee). It is ridiculous that RoS now wants DAP to hold another re- election based on the 2012 delegates list, instead of the 2017 list,” said Lim in a press conference today.

Lim said the RoS order for fresh elections was based on two “totally false and unfounded reasons” – the first being that qualified delegates were denied the right to vote in the DAP CEC re-election held in 2013; and the second, that there was a discrepancy in the number of qualified branches for the 2012 and 2013 CEC elections.

In answer to both charges, Lim said the number of qualified delegates for the 2013 DAP CEC re-election was exactly the same as that for the 2012 CEC election.  

“This was confirmed by independent auditors who carried out and witnessed the 2013 re-election.  Notices were also delivered to every qualified delegate and the proof of postage was previously submitted to RoS in 2014.”

Lim said DAP was also refuting RoS’ stand that all decisions made by the CEC elected in 2013 were null and void.  

He reminded RoS of the agreement it reached with the party on  September 23, 2014 in the KL High Court, which states that “ROS recognises that the DAP CEC elected on 29.9.2013 may carry out all its powers, functions and duties in the administration of the daily affairs of the DAP in accordance with the Constitution of the DAP”.

He said DAP had several options in the course to take, including  holding a re-election under protest as well as mounting a legal challenge to RoS’ decision, but the party hoped to be able to first meet RoS for a discussion.

“We will make efforts to meet with the ROS to discuss the way forward.  However, efforts to meet the registrar so far has been unsuccessful.
 
“We hope that in the interest of justice and fair-play, the registrar can act responsibly and professionally to meet us soon”.

On July 7, director-general of RoS Mohammad Razin Abdullah issued a press statement saying the registrar did not recognise DAP’s CEC because the 2013 party re-elections did not comply with the law. The party was only officially notified of the decision 10 days later, after which DAP said it would meet RoS to “clear the air”. – July 19, 2017.