UPDATED @ 10:21:16 PM 18-04-2013
KUALA LUMPUR, April 18 – The DAP has not been deregistered and can still use its symbol for the 13th general election (G13), the Registrar of Societies (ROS), Datuk Abdul Rahman Othman, said today.He said in a statement here that the ROS’ office informed the DAP yesterday that it was studying the party’s registration following a dispute among its members.
Pending the resolution of the dispute, the ROS, as provided for under Section 3A of the Societies Act 1966, did not accord recognition to the office-bearers of the committee formed in the party elections on Dec 15 last year, he said.
“However,the DAP had not been deregistered and it can still use its symbol during the GE13,” Abdul Rahman said.
He also said that the investigation relating to the party elections would proceed.
The trouble within the DAP arose after many members were reported to have questioned the transparency of the party’s Central Executive Committee (CEC) elections following drastic changes to the election results, blamed on counting errors, and allegations that over 700 delegates were denied their voting rights.DAP secretary-general, Lim Guan Eng, in a news conference here today, claimed that he had received a letter from the ROS dated April 17 stating its decision not to accord recognition to the office-bearers of the party’s CEC.
He said that by virtue of the ROS’ decision, the party had no authority to issue instruments of appointment to any candidate to use the party symbol, the rocket, in the 13th general election (G13).
As such, the DAP proposed to use the PAS symbol in peninsular Malaysia and the Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) symbol in Sabah and Sarawak, he said.
Earlier, Lim met PAS secretary-general Mustafa Ali and PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, who he said had agreed to the use of their party symbols.
He also said that the ROS’ letter stated that the ROS had agreed to postpone the inquiry into the CEC elections, scheduled for today, to May 9. – Bernama