DAP to table motion on position in govt at national convention

 DAP secretary-general Loke Siew Fook says party delegates will have full independence in making their decision on Aug 16.

DAP secretary-general Loke Siew Fook said delegates will be given ballot papers to vote on the motion.

KUALA LUMPUR:

DAP will table a motion to decide if the party will remain in the government until the end of the current Parliament’s term at its national convention on Aug 16.

DAP secretary-general Loke Siew Fook said the matter was decided at the party’s central executive committee (CEC) meeting yesterday.

“We leave it to the wisdom of the over 4,000 delegates that qualify to attend the national convention to decide whether DAP should remain in the government until the end of term or otherwise,” he said after chairing the CEC meeting at the DAP headquarters here.

The meeting was also attended by DAP chairman Gobind Singh Deo, DAP deputy secretary-general Hannah Yeoh and the party’s senior leadership.

When asked if the CEC made a stand on the motion, Loke said it had made no official determination.

“We did discuss the matter, but the CEC will not take any stand. What is important is the delegates’ decision.

“We don’t want to have any stand in guiding the delegates’ decision. Delegates have full independence in making their decision,” he said, adding that all delegates would be given ballot papers to vote on the motion.

He said even though the CEC members had various views, these were their personal opinions and did not represent the party’s official stand.

“We practise a system of internal democracy, so the decision on our position in the government isn’t determined by me or Gobind.

“Even though I’m the secretary-general and Gobind is the chairman, the decision of whether we remain in the government or not will be decided by the delegates as part of the party’s collective decision,” he said. - FMT