The DAP is prepared to hold a re-election for its central executive committee (CEC) "under protest".

"In view of how the (Registrar of Societies, or ROS) directive was given to us at a time when the 14th general election (GE14) can be held anytime, DAP is ready to hold a re-election for its CEC under protest without forfeiting our rights to legal action, if needed..." read DAP vice-chairperson Teresa Kok from the party's letter to ROS, which she submitted to the ROS' headquarters in Putrajaya this morning.

ROS had in its letter to the party on July 17, addressed Kok as the DAP national organising secretary - a post she helmed from 2008 to 2012.

Kok was accompanied by current DAP organising secretary Anthony Loke and an entourage of about 20 DAP members. ROS assistant monitoring director Mohd Nawawi Mat received the letter at the lobby on ROS' behalf.

“Today we have given ROS two attachments along with our letter - a copy of the DAP constitution and the 2012 delegate name list, as per request.

“We have also appointed an independent body - audit firm PKF Consulting, to conduct the re-election.

"But we will (first) need confirmation from ROS on the dates and the name list to be used," Loke told reporters at the lobby of the ROS head office.

The DAP has requested a meeting with the ROS director-general Mohd Razin Abdullah to determine such details.

To a question on how soon the DAP would be able to hold the CEC re-election after obtaining all the relevant details, Loke explained that the party only needed to give a week's notice to all delegates.

ROS’ reasons ‘illogical’

According to Loke, ROS’ July 17 letter had ordered the DAP to conduct re-election based on its 2012 delegates' name list.

“It is illogical for ROS to ask us to conduct a re-election using our 2012 name list, it is as if they conducted GE14 using the GE13 name list,” he lamented.

He explained that the name list was outdated, as some of the 2,576 people listed had since left the party or died.

ROS on July 7 announced that DAP has to hold fresh CEC re-election, but only sent the party official correspondence of the order 10 days later.

The party has rued that ROS' reason for issuing the order was based on "fake news" - a report titled Laporan Ekuiti: Penipuan Pemilihan CEC, by one "Father Augustus Chen".

ROS has refused to back down from its order. 

DAP secretary-general and Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has maintained that ROS' action was meant to “fix and sabotage” the DAP ahead of GE14.

If the DAP carries through with the re-election, it will be the third election it holds for its leadership for the 2013-2016 term.