DAP unable to accept ROS’s explanation – Karpal Singh
(Bernama) – DAP chairman Karpal Singh today reiterated the party’s stand that it would not accept the explanation given by the Registrar of Societies (ROS) over the directive for its central executive committee (CEC) to hold fresh elections.
According to Bernama, he claimed that the ROS was unable to provide the DAP with the legal provision in the Societies Act 1966 which empowered the director-general Datuk Abdul Rahman Othman in issuing such a directive.
“The ROS does not have the power or jurisdiction to issue such a directive and the DAP is therefore unable to comply with the directive,” he said in a statement here.
Karpal Singh said the DAP would not comply with the directive since the party did not receive any written directive on the matter from Abdul Rahman and he should officially inform the party in writing rather than make a public statement.
Yesterday, Abdul Rahman was quoted as saying that the DAP should hold fresh elections for its CEC immediately as this was what the party grassroots wanted.
He said all matters related to any body was handled in accordance with the Societies Act 1966 and the ROS made the decision on the CEC election issue based on the statements given by the parties involved.
In GEORGE TOWN, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng reiterated that the DAP would not hold fresh elections for the CEC so long as the ROS did not reply to the party’s request for an explanation why it should do so.
He said the DAP would not comply with the ROS directive without being given a valid explanation. Lim told reporters the ROS had opted not to give an explanation and had made an announcement before writing to the DAP.
He insisted that the DAP would only comply with the directive if the ROS gave an explanation why it was dissatisfied with the party’s explanation of the CEC elections held on Dec 15 last year.
Lim, who is the chief minister of Penang, claimed that the ROS directive for the DAP to hold fresh elections of its CEC amounted to victimisation and political revenge.
“The DAP will comply with the directive if the ROS explains under which provision of the law the directive for fresh CEC elections was made,” he said.
He said that though there was a mistake, the DAP had admitted to the mistake and the CEC elections last December were clean. He also said that he would file defamation suits against several local media organisations which he claimed had published false reports about the DAP.
On July 30, the ROS ordered the DAP to hold fresh elections of the CEC and informed that he was not satisfied with the explanation given by the party on the alleged manipulation of votes during the CEC elections last December.
