DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng likened the party’s second re-election for its central executive committee (CEC) today to a Hollywood film.

“No other political party in Malaysia has been forced to elect its CEC three times - in 2012, 2013 and 2017 - using the same list of candidates.

“It is like we are frozen in the year 2012, and having a re-election (more than) four years later. This is absolute nonsense.

“This is something we thought could only happen in a Hollywood film, but what we thought could not happen (in real life) is happening now in Malaysia,” Lim said in his speech at the DAP special congress to re-elect the CEC at Shah Alam today.

Lim said the DAP had decided to comply "under protest" with the Registrar of Societies' directive to hold a second re-election in the interest of the party.

“This is very unfair (but) if we do not obey, there is a big possibility that they might...cancel DAP’s registration.

“Though we are confident we can win the case in court. But if we go to court, we cannot use the rocket symbol for the 14th General Election,” he said.

The DAP had on Sept 29, 2013, voluntarily held a re-election after an excel spreadsheet error affected the results of the initial election held on Dec 15, 2012.

The leadership's 2013-2016 term expired last September, but under the DAP constitution, the party can postpone its election for 18 months to prepare for the upcoming general election.

However, the ROS in July cited problems in the delegates' list used for the re-election in 2013 and instructed that yet another re-election be held.

The re-election would effectively reset the term of the DAP leadership.

Lim then sarcastically described the RoS as a king who can demand DAP do something which is not done to other parties, specifically BN and Umno.

However, he hoped that their issues with the RoS would stop after today.

“There is no reason for the RoS to create trouble for us. They should actually let us operate as a bona fide party.

“I hope it ends here today. We are a party which obeys the law, but I hope no one purposely tries to test our patience anymore, because if we are forced again, we will fight to the end,” he said.

He also criticised the RoS’ restriction that only delegates can attend the congress today and not  ordinary members.

“Where is the democracy, the principle of participation if a political party cannot allow their normal members to attend as observers.

“It is like a football match played in a closed stadium with no crowd members,” he said.

The voting started at 12pm and ended at 2pm today, and the results are expected to be announced around 6pm. Over 1,300 delegates attended the congress today, which is a 54 percent attendance rate.