Finish probe fast, DAP tells RoS

Karpal Singh wants the RoS to announce its findings before the next parliament sitting so that DAP MPs can decide if they should be sworn in as independents.

GEORGE TOWN: The DAP has called on the Registrar of Society’s (ROS) to complete its investigations into the party polls held last December and reveal findings before the Dewan Rakyat swearing-in on June 24.

National chairman Karpal Singh said it was important for DAP’s 38 parliamentarians to know beforehand on whether they would swear and sit as party MPs or as independents in Dewan Rakyat, the Lower House of Parliament.

Under the Societies Act, he pointed out that the RoS had the power to deregister the party.

Karpal also brushed aside persisting rumours that party secretary general and Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng desired the RoS to deregister the DAP for him to ride on a ”sympathy wave.”

“If the deregistration happens, the Parliament will have a record number of independent MPs.

“But the last thing we want is to sit as independents.

“We want the RoS to clear the decks before the swearing-in,” Karpal told newsmen in his Bukit Gelugor parliamentary constituency here today.

He said the RoS should complete its probe fast given the DAP had submitted more than required documents to assist investigation.

Despite the deregistration threat, he however, believes that RoS would probably call on the party to re-hold its elections for the central executive committee (CEC) due to lack of a case.

“There are lack of evidence and materials for deregistration,” said Karpal.

Besides the 38 MPs, the DAP has 107 assemblymen across the country.

Karpal however, warned the RoS that it should think carefully on any decision for deregistration and turning the party elected representatives into independents as the DAP would not surrender so easily to any drastic decision.

Legal action possible
He reminded that any RoS action does not exclude affected parties to seek a judicial pronouncement.

He did not rule out the party resorting to legal action to seek judicial redress.

“We are prepared to pull the bull by its horns.

“If RoS not careful, we will break the horns,” warned Karpal.

Despite the technical glitch that marred the CEC polls held on Dec 15 in Penang, he reiterated that the party did not commit any fraud and criminality in the internal election.

He claimed that the party did not attempt to cover up or be quiet if it wanted to on the technical glitch because it was prepared to face the consequence.

Following the technical glitch, CEC candidate Zairil Khir Johari who initially received 305 votes, had suddenly garnered 803 votes.

Zairil, now the Bukit Bendera MP, was placed at 20th elected position of CEC.

Vincent Wu Him Ven, who was initially elected to CEC with 1,202 votes, was given only 669 votes and a 26th position.

But he has been re-appointed into the CEC as a co-opted member.

Zairil, a fast emerging parachute Malay politician in the DAP, is Lim’s political secretary and state-sponsored research body, Penang Institute, chief executive officer.

Improper RoS action
Karpal also slammed RoS for recently revealing its findings on its ongoing probe by publicly disclosing that the DAP had denied members the right to vote in party election.

“RoS conduct was highly improper,” he said.

RoS has claimed that its probe discovered many DAP members were not issued notices of the party’s 16th National Congress.

As a result, RoS director Abdul Rahman Othman claimed that qualified DAP members failed to show up and were not able to vote in the CEC polls.