RoS should have sent official letter, says Gobind

Gobind Singh Deo slams RoS for instructing party to hold fresh polls in a public statement.

KUALA LUMPUR: Gobind Singh Deo has hit out at the Registrar of Societies’ (RoS) decision to issue a public statement instructing DAP to hold fresh polls for its central executive committee (CEC).

The Puchong MP said an official letter should have been sent to the party instead.

Gobind, who is DAP’s legal bureau chairman, said without an official letter, legally, the party would not be able to make any decisions.

“We cannot ascertain the exact details of the letter.

“We hope the letter can be sent as soon as possible and we can meet with the RoS, so we can take things from there,” he said at a press conference at the party’s headquarters here today.

It was earlier announced at the press conference that DAP will not hold a fresh election but will seek a meeting with the RoS instead.

Gobind reiterated that contrary to the RoS’ allegations, after the previous re-election in 2013, DAP had sent a report to the department giving it the details of the delegates and results.

“That is the reason we took them to court, because as far as we are concerned, societies are required to hold an election according to the constitution.

“Any time the party has to hold a re-election, it is duty-bound to report to the RoS the result of the election.”

Yesterday, the RoS issued a statement saying it had instructed DAP to hold a fresh election for its CEC over the party’s allegedly unlawful re-election, held on Sept 29, 2013.

“The RoS believes the appointment of the CEC members, as well as the main position holders through that re-election, is illegal.

“The re-election should be based on the list of delegates entitled to attend and vote for DAP’s CEC elections dated Dec 15, 2012, involving 2,576 delegates from 865 branches,” RoS director-general Mohammad Razin Abdullah said in the statement.

On April 17, 2013, the RoS had sent a letter to DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, stating that it did not recognise DAP’s CEC which had been elected during the party elections the year before.

However, the RoS issued another letter on April 19 stating that the party would be allowed to use its rocket symbol in GE13.

On Jan 22, 2014, Lim filed a judicial review application on behalf of the party, saying the RoS had no power under the Societies Act 1966 to refuse the recognition of the CEC which was re-elected on Sept 29, 2013.

DAP decided to drop the application on Sept 23, 2014, following the RoS’ recognition of the re-elected CEC and its stand that statements on the matter were merely advice and not legally binding. - FMT