DAP gets RoS letter on fresh elections for CEC members

PETALING JAYA: The Registrar of Societies has sent an official letter to the DAP asking the party to hold fresh elections for its CEC members.

“We have given the party 14 days to respond to our letter. However, RoS did not give a deadline as to when the party should hold its re-election,” RoS director-general Datuk Mohammad Razin Abdullah said in response to a WhatsApp message.

On July 7, Mohammad Razin said that while RoS has no intention of deregistering DAP, the party should hold fresh elections for its CEC members.

The party’s legal bureau chief Gobind Singh Deo confirmed that it received the letter yesterday morning.

“The Central Executive Committee (CEC) will meet this Wednesday (tomorrow) to discuss its contents. An official statement will be issued after that,” he said.

Last week, DAP issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the RoS to give the party official notification on the need to hold a re-election.

The RoS decision, which requires DAP to use the membership list from before 2013 has raised some interesting possibilities.

Former DAP life member Shamsher Singh, who has been critical of the party leadership, said he would be back if DAP went ahead with a fresh election.

“It seems like I have tendered my resignation to an unlawful party and technically, I am still a member of DAP.

“The law is absolutely clear that under the Section 18B (1) of the Societies Act 1966 that no election in any political party shall be invalid by reason of any failure to comply with any provision of the party’s constitution.

“Yet, DAP chose to hold a re-election in 2013, which was not necessary when it should have filed for a judicial review instead,” he said when contacted yesterday.

Former DAP vice-chairman Zulkifli Mohd Noor said the RoS decision was light punishment for DAP.

“The party should have been de-registered as the elections for its CEC members held in 2012 and 2013 were blunders.

“They should start all over after being de-registered,” he said.

Former Teratai assemblyman Jenice Lee, however, felt DAP would not comply with the RoS’ order.

“From my observation on DAP’s leadership attitude, I don’t think they will cooperate. It seems like they are more confrontational,” said Lee, who was sacked from DAP in 2013.

She praised the RoS over its move to send an official notification to the DAP.

“I think they did a great job. Now, it’s up to DAP whether it wishes to comply.”