IF DAP wants to contest in the next general election then it will have to follow the instructions of the Registrar of Societies (RoS), said Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
He said DAP had the tendency to disregard the RoS’ instructions.
“The consequence is that when the election comes, all the candidates of that party must be endorsed.
“If their letters are not issued and confirmed by the RoS that means the candidates cannot contest.
“If they want to contest then they should follow RoS instructions,” he said after officiating at the Gombak Umno division meeting today.
On Friday, RoS director-general Mohammad Razin Abdullah in a statement, said the DAP’s CEC re-election in 2013 was not held in accordance with the law, so it was invalid.
He said with regard to complaints by DAP members about the CEC re-election on September 29, 2013, the RoS found the appointment of the CEC and main office-bearers to be invalid.
Zahid reiterated that he would not interfere with the RoS instructions on the issue.
“I have told them (RoS) to act professionally. DAP should follow their own constitution even though their appointments were signed in 2013.
“If they don’t follow the law then their candidates are considered null and void.
“This is the message I want to send. I’m not interfering. As the home minister I’m just pointing out what is in the DAP constitution,” he said, adding that if they needed to, they could bring the matter back to the courts.
Earlier, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said it didn’t make sense for DAP to use the same delegates’ list for the re-election of its central executive committee (CEC).
He said the RoS instruction to use the same list was impossible as some members had left the party while others, like then chairman Karpal Singh, had died.
If the same order was to be applied to the last general election in 2013, Lim asked whether it would be possible for the ruling Barisan Nasional to use the same line-up to campaign and contest.
Yesterday, DAP’s CEC in an emergency meeting decided not to hold fresh party elections, and would seek a meeting with RoS to “clear the air”. – July 9, 2017.