The DAP tonight decided to hold off the decision on fresh polls as it wants the Registrar of Societies (ROS) to clarify its directive for a re-election which the party claimed was based on "fake news".
"The ROS' basis for re-election is completely unfounded and based on fake news.
"Hence, the DAP hopes that the ROS will grant us a clarification meeting to discuss the way forward," DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng told a press conference after the central executive committee meeting at the DAP headquarters tonight.
Lim said the party had tonight reviewed ROS' formal letter which it received on Monday and found that the ROS had based its re-election order based on two premises which he said were "false".
On July 7, ROS ordered DAP to hold a fresh CEC election, stating that its 2013 re-election was not in accordance with the law.
The party was given 14 days to respond to ROS on the re-election, failing which it can take action against DAP under the Societies Act 1966.
Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had also said that DAP cannot participate in the coming general elections if it does not comply with ROS' instruction.
ROS said 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.
Lim clarified tonight that the number of DAP delegates in 2012 party poll was exactly the same with the 2013 re-election.
Despite DAP branches having increased from 751 in 2012 to 985 in 2013, he said only 2,576 delegates from 751 branches were qualified to vote in the 2013 re-election.
In its July 17 letter to DAP, ROS had pointed out that DAP has a total of 865 qualified branches in 2012, which increased to 985 in the next year.
"This is false," said Lim.
Lim said that ROS made the finding of 865 branches based on a fake report - "Laporan Equiti: Penipuan Pemilihan CEC" by one "Father Augustus Chen".
He then cited a defamation case won by DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang against Utusan Malaysia which quoted the same report.
The Penang chief minister questioned why ROS had made such decision based on "court-confirmed fictitious report".
"There are currently several options available to the DAP, including holding the re-election under protest, as well as mounting a legal challenge against ROS's decision," said the Bagan parliamentarian.
"In the meantime, we will make efforts to meet with ROS to discuss the way forward. However, efforts to meet ROS since Monday has been unsuccessful," he added.
He called for ROS to act responsibly and professionally by meeting them soon in the interest of justice and fair-play. -Mkini
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