DAP barking up the wrong tree, says ROS

(The Star) – The Registrar of Societies (ROS) says DAP is barking up the wrong tree as the party’s dispute was with its members, and not with the agency.

An ROS spokesman said it was DAP members who were dissatisfied with the leadership as they believed that the party constitution had been breached.

“We are merely acting on complaints lodged by DAP members. We received not one but many complaints,” he said, stressing that the dispute did not involve ROS.

He said this when asked to comment on DAP chairman Karpal Singh’s threat to take ROS to court for allegedly oppressing the party.

The ROS spokesman said the agency too could take action against the party on various grounds.

“But we want to help resolve this matter. If laws are interpreted according to perception, there would be no end to it,” he said.

He also called on DAP leaders to respect and observe their own party constitution.

“They can’t act as if they are not bound by rules,” he said.

On July 30, ROS directed DAP to hold fresh polls following allegations of discrepancies in the polls held in December last year.

ROS’ subsequent advice to hold fresh polls in a national congress and provide 10-week notice to branches fell on deaf ears.

DAP held fresh polls in a special congress on Sunday after giving delegates three weeks’ notice.

The ROS spokesman said they would wait for DAP’s report on its special congress and fresh CEC polls before deciding on the next course of action.

The spokesman also rebutted claims by DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng and special congress chairman Anthony Loke that ROS had refused to meet up with them to discuss the dispute.

“No government office shuts its doors on the rakyat. If they want to come and discuss they are most welcome to do so,” he said.