DAP to know fate next week
“If the regulations are not followed, then the RoS will take a professional decision in accordance with the DAP constitution”
(The Third Force) – The fate of DAP, which is teetering on the edge of deregistration, is expected to be known only next week when the Registrar of Societies (RoS) director general Datuk Mohammad Razin Abdullah meets Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
“I hope he will give me a written reply to me,” Ahmad Zahid told reporters at the residence of Deputy Sarawak Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah here today.
He was asked to comment on the possibility that the federal Opposition party might be deregistered following a letter from RoS on April 17, 2013 that the party’s new central executive committee was not recognised due to a dispute surrounding its party elections.
However, the DAP was allowed to contest in the 13th general elections on May 5, 2013 using its rocket symbol with approval from the RoS in a letter dated April 19 that same year.
The issue of DAP’s validity as a lawful political party was raised again last week by Tengku Sariffuddin Tengku Ahmad, press secretary to the prime minister, who insisted that the current committee was not recognised by the RoS, which may affect the Opposition party’s chance in the 14th general elections (GE14) that must be held by next year.
Asked on the possibility that the DAP may be deregistered, Ahmad Zahid, who is also the deputy prime minister, said he “does not see any effort to deregister DAP or otherwise.”
He said the fate of the DAP depends on whether or not the political party breached its own constitution when electing new committee members.
“If the regulations are not followed, then the RoS will take a professional decision in accordance with the DAP constitution,” he said.
