DAP decries being 'subjected to arbitrary dictates' by ROS

The DAP continues to condemn the Registrar of Societies’ (ROS) decision to ask the party to hold fresh elections.

Its secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said that the party would be “subjected permanently to arbitrary dictates and high-handed abuse of power” by ROS.

“This would happen if ROS fails to fulfill the two conditions of fully explaining the grounds of its decision on why DAP should hold fresh elections and the relevant provision exercised under the Societies Act,” said Lim in a statement.

Last night, at its emergency central executive committee meeting, Lim said the members were “shocked” that ROS could make such an important decision in such “a high-handed and arbitrary manner”.

He added that ROS merely made the decision on the basis that it is dissatisfied, without giving any reasons.

“Such a short directive to hold fresh elections on a purely subjective basis that one is dissatisfied without giving any grounds for the dissatisfaction is unacceptable by any moral and ethical standards,” decried Lim.

“It is  undemocratic, a denial of natural justice and due legal process,” he added.

“If this is the basis of the decision-making process by the ROS, then opposition parties like the DAP would be permanently held to ransom by ridiculous and baseless complaints,” he stressed.

Lim said in future there is nothing to stop ROS from directing the holding of fresh elections at any time at the its “whims and fancies” without giving any reasons.  

On Tuesday, ROS sent the DAP a letter to announce its decision to compel the party to hold fresh internal polls.

DAP held its polls at the party’s 16th triennial congress in Penang in December last year.

In February, DAP admitted to a technical glitch which resulted in wrong votes being announced for a few candidates which had an impact on only one successful candidate.

The mistake led to one candidate, Vincent Wu, who was wrongly announced as a successful candidate, being replaced by the actual successful candidate, Zairil Khir Johari, Lim’s political secretary and now Bukit Bendera MP.