The Special Affairs Department (Jasa) has issued an extensive laundry list of criticisms against DAP to justify the Registrar of Societies's (ROS) latest actions, including how its members are “leaving the party in growing numbers” out of dissatisfaction.
It concluded predicting DAP will lose Penang in the next general election, after winning the state from BN in 2008.
The statement today titled 'Keunggulan demokrasi mati lemas dalam DAP' (The prestige of democracy drowns within DAP), prepared by Jasa fellow M Periasamy, claimed “DAP is alleged to have manipulated the tabulation process to ensure the victory of certain persons”.
Jasa also cited the petition by a group of academics urging ROS to issue DAP a show cause letter, an initiative by Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) lecturer Kamarul Zaman Yusoff in May after attacking DAP Selangor speaker Hannah Yeoh over her biography.
The statement from the government's propaganda arm went on to criticse DAP's electoral performance and attributed its successes to its partnership with PAS.
“It is clear the support of PAS members for DAP was the main factor that handed DAP its number of parliamentary seats (in the 12th and 13th general elections).
“Therefore, with the end of political cooperation or tahaluf siyasi with PAS, therefore DAP is expected to lose the votes of PAS members that have been the source of DAP's big win,” wrote Periasamy.
The lengthy article included DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng's MACC case and claims that he had “failed to overcome the socio-economic problems particularly of the bumiputera”.
Claiming it has lost Malay and Indian support, Jasa speculated DAP will “lose a majority of its Penang seats in the 14th general election”.
Zahid: Be professional
Meanwhile, ROS has been asked to act professionally in handling the new DAP central executive committee (CEC) re-election in a legitimate and transparent manner, reported Bernama.
Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said that whatever action taken by ROS would be based on the party’s constitution to safeguard its members.
"The ROS has met me and I have asked him (the director-general of ROS) to act professionally and not emotionally, and that whatever action was taken by ROS must be based on the Societies Act 1966 and in accordance with DAP’s constitution.
“This is because ROS is an organisation which looks after the interest of members in any association including political parties.”
Ahmad Zahid, who is also Home Minister, said this at a press conference after opening the Bagan Datuk Umno division delegates meeting, Bagan Datuk, today.
Yesterday, ROS director-general Mohammad Razin Abdullah said the appointment of CEC members and those who held key positions in DAP via its re-election on Sep 29, 2013 was deemed unlawful.
The re-election should be based on the list of delegates entitled to attend and vote in the CEC election on Dec 15, 2012, which involved 2,576 delegates from 865 branches.
This is because only valid and recognised CEC members can appoint individuals to the main positions, in accordance with the Societies Act 1966 and DAP’s constitution.
Hence Ahmad Zahid said, Mohammad Razin's media statement yesterday was in the interest of what was enshrined in the party's constitution as well as acting in accordance with the Societies Act 1966.
"I am confident ROS will send an official letter to DAP secretary-general (Lim Guan Eng). The statement issued by ROS yesterday is an explanation to the statements made by DAP leaders before this," he said.
