DAP may contest in GE under PAS, PKR symbols

Come election day on May 5, many may not see the sight of the Democratic Action Party’s (DAP) famous rocket logo.

This is because the party may opt to use the PAS symbol in Peninsular Malaysia and the PKR symbol in Sabah and Sarawak if the Registrar of Societies (ROS) does not revoke the letter derecognising the party's Central Executive Committee.

DAP secretary general Lim Guan Eng said the party is giving ROS until 3pm tomorrow to revoke the letter.

“Failure to do so will result in the DAP directing its 53 parliamentary candidates and 103 state candidates throughout the country to contest in the next general elections under the PAS symbol in Peninsular Malaysia and the PKR symbol in Sabah and Sarawak,” he said in a press statement today.

However, earlier today, the Election Commission (EC) chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusoff said that DAP can still send its candidates to contest in the general election despite ROS’ move to not recognise the party’s CEC.

Meanwhile, Bernama reported that ROS director-general Datuk Abdul Rahman Othman said the DAP had not been deregistered and could still use its symbol for the general election on May 5.

He said in a statement here that the RoS' office informed the DAP on Wednesday that it was studying the party's registration following a dispute among its members.

ROS director-general Datuk Abdul Rahman told Bernama that the society had informed the DAP yesterday that it was studying the party's registration following a dispute among its members.

Pending the resolution of the dispute, the RoS, as provided for under Section 3A of the Societies Act 1966, did not accord recognition to the office-bearers of the committee formed in the party elections on Dec 15 last year, he had said.

"However, the DAP had not been deregistered and it can still use its symbol during the GE13,” he was quoted as saying.

Kampung Tunku incumbent Lau Weng San however, tweeted that DAP will appeal to ROS tomorrow.

The DAP’s CEC had been accused of a ‘technical glitch’ in its calculations during the party elections at the 16th DAP National Congress which was held on December 15.