‘DAP has to explain branch approval’

(NST) – Former Kedah DAP interim committee vice-chairman Syed Araniri Syed Ahmad yesterday demanded an explanation from the party’s leadership over the Taman Wira branch approval controversy.

He claimed that based on the 35 membership cards sent by the DAP headquarters to the branch secretary last Wednesday, the establishment of the Taman Wira branch had been approved on May 13, making it DAP’s 1,792nd branch nationwide.

However, he argued that the date of approval was almost a month earlier from the date when the party headquarters had submitted the application forms to set up Taman Wira and several other branches to the Registrar of Societies (RoS).

“The application form for the setting up of the Taman Wira branch was sent by the DAP leadership to RoS on June 7.

“However, all 35 Taman Wira membership cards received last Wednesday revealed that the branch was approved almost a month before the application was sent.

“It does not add up. Considering that RoS had yet to receive the application form in May, the question is, who approved the branch?” he said at the state DAP headquarters in Taman Kristal.

Syed Araniri suggested that DAP had little respect for RoS’ authority if it was true that the party was behind the “approval”. He urged RoS to investigate the matter to avoid abuse of power among party leaders.

It was reported that the party leaders had said the branch could not be set up, as it did not meet the 50- member requirement.

Following the conflict with the party’s leadership, Syed Araniri and 27 Taman Wira branch members decided to quit the party and said they would return their membership cards to the DAP headquarters next week.

“I hereby announce my official resignation, together with 27 others from the Taman Wira branch, from the party.

“We do not wish to remain in a party that lacks integrity.”