The Registrar of Societies (ROS) will stand by its decision instructing DAP to hold a fresh election for the party's central executive committee (CEC).

"ROS made the decision based on information provided by DAP members who complained. After much research, ROS was satisfied that there was basis for the complaints," its director-general Mohammad Razin Abdullah said when contacted today.

Razin maintained that there were discrepancies between the number of qualified delegates in 2012 party elections and the 2013 re-election.

He said this in response to DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, who claimed that ROS made its decision on the re-election based on "fake news".

On July 7, ROS ordered DAP to hold a fresh CEC election, stating that its 2013 re-election was not in accordance with the law.

ROS said the re-election should have been based on the delegates’ list used for the CEC election held on Dec 15, 2012, involving 2,576 delegates from 865 branches.

DAP given 14 days to respond

The party was given 14 days to respond to ROS on the re-election, failing, which ROS could take action against DAP under the Societies Act 1966.

Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has also said that DAP cannot participate in the coming general election if it does not comply with the instruction from ROS.

Yesterday, DAP decided to hold off the decision on a fresh CEC election, saying it wanted ROS to clarify its directive for a re-election, which the party claimed was based on "fake news".

Lim said the ROS letter dated July 17, which stated that DAP had a total of 865 branches in 2012, was not accurate and fictitious.

The Penang chief minister also claimed that ROS based its figure on a fabricated booklet, Laporan Equiti: Penipuan Pemilihan CEC, by one "Father Augustus Chen".

Lim said DAP has several options, which included holding the re-election under protest, as well as mounting a legal challenge against the ROS decision.

Asked if ROS was willing to meet Lim or DAP, Razin said: "Any clarification will only be done via black and white. It is DAP's right to take the matter to court."