Explain why DAP needs fresh election, Guan Eng dares ROS
(Malaysian Times) – DAP Secretary-General Lim Guan Eng dares the Registrar of Societies’ (ROS) Director Datuk Abdul Rahman Othman to meet him after Hari Raya holidays to explain why the publication by Utusan Malaysia (UM) and New Straits Times (NST) was not verified and to state the reasons for that DAP has to conduct fresh elections.
Guan Eng, who is the Penang Chief Minister, in a statement claimed that ROS has repeatedly behaved unprofessionally by making media announcements that had no factual or legal basis.
“Worse, the ROS makes announcements in the media without any written replies, giving the strong impression of wanting to politicise the issue for the benefit of BN instead of fulfilling their duties in regulating the Societies impartially and lawfully,” Guan Eng, who is the Bagan MP, said adding that he have written a letter to Abdul Rahman requesting for a meeting.
“By reiterating in the press that there must be fresh re-elections because he is dissatisfied without needing to give reasons, the ROS is behaving as if he is a King whereby he can make any diktats at his whim and fancy.
“Is Datuk Abdul Rahman refusing to give reasons because he has no valid reasons to give,” Guan Eng questioned.
Guan Eng said the DAP had fully co-operated with the ROS and Abdul Rahman should show proof if the ROS claims otherwise.
“If the ROS dares not meet me, then that validates our fears that this new directive is an act of political victimisation and revenge against the DAP,”
“DAP had admitted that a computer glitch at the DAP Congress in Penang caused the wrong announcement of the successful candidates.
“There was no mistake either in vote counting or tabulation but only in posting the results, leading to one candidate Vincent Wu wrongly announced as a successful candidate when it should be Zairil Khir Johari.”
“DAP had fully explained this honest mistake to the officials from the ROS by furnishing all relevant materials. The mistake was admitted voluntarily by DAP without being exposed by ROS or BN in the interests of upholding transparency and accountability. DAP is now being punished for being honest and truthful and is a victim of an abuse of power,” he added.
Guan Eng said that the DAP has rights to know the reasons why and under what powers the ROS is directing the DAP to hold re-election of its Central Executive Committee (CEC), which was elected in the DAP Party Congress in Penang last December.
“To hint that the DAP grassroots want elections because 753 DAP delegates had been denied their right to attend the DAP Congress in Penang last December is a lie.
“There are no complaints made by as many as 753 delegates that they were not notified of the Congress. So is the false claim of 547 “phantom” delegates attending the Congress, which are all lies concocted by the imagination of UM and NST,” Guan Eng claimed.
“Only a few members out of 200,000 DAP members complained. If that is the basis, then Pakatan Rakyat have a greater claim towards being the Federal government due to the majority popular support of 51% during the last general elections.
“As the ROS appears to believe these lies by Utusan Malaysia and NST, DAP has no choice but to sue the BN-controlled media for defamation to expose these lies.
“Is the failure by ROS to state the reasons because ROS know that these are lies,” Guan Eng chided.
He stressed that if the reasons given are reasonable and the provision of law employed by ROS is lawful, DAP has no hesitation in calling for fresh re-elections.
