DAP to hold emergency meeting over 'invalidation'

The DAP is calling an emergency meeting tomorrow night to deal with the Registrar of Societies’ (ROS) invalidation of the party’s central executive committee (CEC).

The party’s secretary-general, Lim Guan Eng, urged all members and supporters to remain calm while the party deals with the latest development.

Lim described the ROS’ move to invalidate the party’s central executive committee as “an act of political vengeance and victimisation”.

He added that the DAP was never informed beforehand, either verbally or in writing of this directive to hold fresh elections. 

Further, the letter promised by ROS to be sent to DAP has not even been prepared or sent, he added.

“Has ROS surrendered its professionalism and integrity to Umno and BN to be a willing tool to fix up BN’s political enemies?” asked Lim in a statement.
 
Lim expressed shock at the “preemptive and premature” announcement by Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to direct DAP to reconvene party elections yesterday, adding it was an “abuse of power”.

Lim said Ahmad Zahid had made the announcement at an impromptu speech during the ROS’ buka puasa function in Putrajaya.

“He made the announcement without any written grounds on why DAP is required to call for fresh party elections,” said Lim.

He added that when DAP national organising secretary and MP for Seremban Anthony Loke visited the ROS headquarters in Putrajaya this morning, he was informed that the letter was not ready to be sent yet. 

‘Fixing up the DAP’

“These events lend suspicion that ROS had clearly pre-judged and made up its mind to fix up the DAP,” said Lim.

“No serious consideration was given to the explanations by DAP that the party elections in December last year were conducted properly, legally and democratically where all qualified delegates were fully informed without any dishonest practice of money politics or hanky panky,” he added.
 
“The only mistake was in the posting of the results by the returning officer that led to the wrong votes being announced for the successful candidates,” Lim said.

“When this error was discovered, this was admitted to and rectified by the party voluntarily without being exposed by any outside parties,” he added.

“The party is now punished for refusing to hide mistakes and by being honest and truthful,” Lim lamented.
 
Lim said the party had fully cooperated with ROS and provided all information requested.

For the ROS to claim now that the DAP CEC is not recognised is “self-contradictory” as the registrar’s director-general continues to address him as secretary-general in official letters this year, and even stated that the party is authorised to use the Rocket symbol during the last general election.