Guan Eng shrugs off comments on reduced votes
The party secretary-general says the rise or drop in the number of votes is part of the electoral process, and that he respects the delegates’ decision.
Anisah Shukry, FMT
DAP Secretary General Lim Guan Eng today downplayed the reduced votes he received in yesterday’s party polls, saying that it was all part of the electoral process.
“We respect the decision of the delegates. Whether we receive more or less votes is part of the process. We are willing to listen to the delegates,” he told reporters at a press conference at the Parliament lobby today.
“But (despite the reduced votes) my style of leadership will remain. We will continue to fight the Registrar of Societies (ROS).”
The Penang Chief Minister, who held the number two spot in the first Central Executive Committee (CEC) elections in December last year only managed to secure the fifth spot this time around with only 1,304 votes.
According to Lim, by voting in the same 20 members into the Central Executive Committee (CEC), the delegates had shown they were unanimous in believing that the party had been victimised by the Registrar of Societies (ROS).
“The delegates have spoken. They are saying “no” to the ROS,” reiterated Lim.
The ROS had ordered the DAP to hold a re-election after disgruntled members reported they had not received notice of the CEC elections last year.
Last year’s party polls also invoked controversy when a tabulation error was discovered where a recalculation of the results saw Zairil Khir Johari entering the CEC, making him the only Malay in the party’s highest committee.
“I don’t know what the ROS wants. Maybe they want to cause trouble in a bid to cripple us so that we are unable to carry out our main function, which is to topple BN and Umno in the next general election,” Lim said today.
He also deflected criticism that the re-election of the party’s highest council again saw delegates voting in only one Malay leader.
Lim instead turned the tables on his critics by saying that Barisan Nasional component parties Umno, MIC, MCA and Gerakan only have leaders from one race.
