Forget saving Malaysia, just save your own skin, Kit Siang told

Tunku Abdul Aziz at a press conference in Petaling Jaya today. – MO pic by Azrol Ali.

PETALING JAYA: Instead of ‘saving Malaysia’, it is better for DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang to save his own party and himself, by complying with the directive from the Registrar of Societies (RoS) to hold a fresh Central Executive Committee (CEC) election.

In saying this, a former DAP leader appealed for Kit Siang to know when he is overstaying his welcome and save himself from the shame and indignity of being booted out by a mounting anti-Lim movement.

Tunku Abdul Aziz Tunku Ibrahim, at a press conference held at the Eastin Hotel, here, today said Kit Siang “in a very real sense has come to the end of the line”.

“The man who sees himself as the saviour of Malaysia cannot even save DAP from imploding as his rule is seen as self-serving,” the former DAP national vice-chairman said.

With a directive from the RoS looming over DAP, Tunku Abdul Aziz said a fresh election, should it take place, will see a regime change within the Opposition party.

This, according to Tunku Abdul Aziz, is the primary reason why the DAP stalwart is reluctant to comply with the directive.

He claimed that back in 2012, DAP’s intelligence feedback very strongly pointed that their hurdle was the “extremely popular Deputy Chairman Dr Tan Seng Giaw”.

Describing Dr Tan as DAP’s last gentleman politician, Tunku Abdul Aziz said the former is “a man of impeccable personal integrity and a true democrat”.

“It was decided that everything possible must be done to stop Dr Tan from snatching the number one spot. That is the primary reason that Kit Siang will move mountains to stop Dr Tan from taking part in a fresh election.

“Complying with the RoS directive will be an unmitigated personal disaster, the kiss of death and journey’s end for a brash political dynasty,” he further remarked, referring to DAP’s Lim Dynasty.

Tunku Abdul Aziz further claimed that to comply with the directive meant opening the flood gates to Dr Tan’s supporters.

“By employing one delaying tactic after another, and thereby pushing RoS goodwill to the brink, it is hoped that DAP would be deregistered,” he added, pointing out that it is not RoS’ intention to suspend or deregister DAP as the party is legal.

What is wrong, he said, is the manner in which the CEC elections, both in 2012 and 2013 were conducted which was a breach of the party’s own constitution.

“It naturally will gain a great deal of hoped-for political mileage to confuse the public as to the real reason that compelled RoS to issue its directive as required by law.”

Tunku Abdul Aziz reiterated that should a fresh election be called and a regime change takes place, the person who will emerge as the most qualified to take the top job in DAP, to end a style of leadership out of step with a more responsible Opposition that a new democratic Malaysia demands, is Dr Tan.

DAP, back in 2013 conducted fresh election for its CEC after claiming that an Excel spreadsheet error affected the election results held the previous year.

However, complaints were lodged by their members after the 2013 reelection, leading to the RoS declaring DAP’s CEC to be invalid, as well as the top leadership appointed by the CEC.

Last week, the RoS issued a statement saying they will issue a directive to DAP to conduct a fresh election for its CEC. – MO