DAP to try using Rocket symbol tomorrow
All party candidates will also carry an authorisation letter from either PAS or PKR so that they can use the ‘moon’ or the ‘eye’ symbol if the Rocket is rejected by the election officer.
(FMT) – DAP will use its Rocket symbol when its candidates file in their nomination papers tomorrow morning. However the candidates will also have authorisation letters from PAS or PKR in the event the returning officers reject the DAP symbol.
‘We are not confident that they will accept our symbol but we will try. If they do reject our Rocket, we will use either the moon (PAS) or the eye (PKR),” said an emotional DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng during a press conference in Penang this evening.
Lim said that all DAP candidates have been issued with two sets of authorisation letters – one from DAP which allows the candidates to use the Rocket symbol, and another from PAS to allow DAP candidates in Peninsular Malaysia to use the moon symbol, and from PKR for DAP members in Sabah and Sarawak to use the eye symbol.
He said that the DAP candidates will first submit DAP’s letter of authorisation and if it is rejected by the returning officer during nomination process, they will then submit the authorisation letter given by PAS or PKR.
“This is a very sad day. We are being denied the chance to use our beloved symbol,” said Lim.
He said the Barisan Nasional government was employing underhand tactics to defeat DAP by refusing the party to chance to use its Rocket symbol.
“We are very angry. The party is very angry. Our supporters are very angry, and our leaders are upset as it is very painful not to be able to use our Rocket for the general election,” he said.
“BN is playing dirty to use this tactic to knock out the DAP even before the battle has started,” he said.
ROS’ de-recognition
He said DAP has not received any official undertaking from the Registrar of Societies to withdraw its letter dated April 17 which stated that the ROS does not recognise DAP’s newly elected Central Executive Committee (CEC) due to the dispute surrounding the party elections in December last year.
The de-recognition comes partly due to the party’s alleged failure in providing ballot papers to 753 delegates who were supposed to be electing the party’s CEC.
In the letter, the ROS had warned that the explanations put forth by the party leadership with regard to the disputed matters must be satisfactory or DAP faced the risk of being de-registered.
