KUALA LUMPUR, July 9 — The timing of Registrar of Societies’ (RoS) order for DAP to hold re-elections for the second time guarantees suspicions over political meddling, the Centre for a Better Tomorrow (Cenbet) has said today.
In a statement today, Cenbet Board of Governors member Datuk Simon Lim said government agencies such as the RoS must stick to a standard operating procedure (SOP), while being both independent and professional in carrying out their duties.
“Government agencies like the RoS needs to draw up, and stick to a SOP on administrative decisions that have political implications, to avoid being accused of being a tool of the ruling government.
“The RoS’ latest directive for the DAP to hold fresh polls for its CEC has only fuelled public suspicion of government interference. The public is understandably puzzled why the RoS took more than three years before asking the party to hold re-election,” Lim said, using the abbreviation for DAP’s central executive committee.
“The timing could not have been worse as the prime minister’s press aide had just days earlier revisited the old issue of the party’s disputed 2012 and 2013 internal polls and questioned the legitimacy of the its central leadership,” he added.
Early this month, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s press secretary, Datuk Seri Tengku Sariffuddin, said that the DAP may not be allowed to use its party logo in the 14th general elections as the RoS did not recognise the validity of the party’s central executive committee.
Followingr the remark, RoS last week issued a statement via its Facebook page, ordering DAP to hold fresh re-elections, rejecting the 2013 edition of DAP’s central executive committee polls.
RoS director-general Datuk Mohammad Razin Abdullah said that the fresh party polls must be based on the name list of DAP delegates who were eligible to vote in 2012, namely 2,576 delegates from 865 branches.
He added that only the legitimate CEC members recognised under the Societies Act 1966 and DAP’s party constitution could then appoint the key office-bearer, who is authorised to sign letters of appointment for the party’s election candidates to the Election Commission.
“This was followed by DPM and Home Minister’s meeting with the RoS on this matter. All these only lend credence to the narrative about political meddling. The RoS and all other government agencies should not only be independent and professional in carrying out their duties, but be seen to be so.
“To do so, it is imperative that they draw up a clients’ charter and SOP, especially on politically-sensitive decisions, if they have not already. And these must be adhered to in the strictest possible terms,” Lim said.
Earlier today, deputy prime minister and home minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said if DAP fails to follow the order to re-elect its central committee members, its members not have the appointment letters authorised by the RoS to contest in the next general elections.
