updated version

DAP Youth decided today to cancel its upcoming annual congress due to opposition towards a controversial proposal for direct elections.

The congress, planned for Sept 9, was postponed to an indefinite date. Some 700 delegates nationwide were expected to attend.

Youth leader Teng Chang Khim said "certain quarters" had objected to the proposal that the top five posts be directly elected by the delegates.

A six-person committee led by youth secretary general Hew Kuan Yau has been set up to further study the matter, he added.

"After the committee completes its study, the wing will call for an emergency congress to debate the proposal and make the necessary changes to the Youth constitution," said Teng.

He was speaking to reporters after the Youth meeting at the DAP headquarters in Petaling Jaya.

Marked departure

The direct elections proposal, the first in the party's history, are for its top five posts - Youth chief, deputy chief, two vice-chairpersons and a secretary-general.

If adopted, the plan will be a marked departure from the current practice of the parent body. The party's leadership posts are currently being elected by members of the central executive committee, who are elected by delegates during their congress.

Meanwhile, DAP secretary general Kerk Kim Hock said he was glad the matter had been resolved.

"I hope the decision will be accepted by youth members and leaders," he told malaysiakini .

Kerk denied claims that the party's central executive committee had objected to the proposal. However, he said the committee was not informed about the proposal and only learned about it after the matter was highlighted in the media.