THE race is on building up towards nomination and none is more potentially more rocket-fueled than the fate that faces the Democratic Action Party (DAP) even before the campaign begins in official earnest.
There’s a big likelihood that the rocket, the unmistakable party symbol will not feature on the ballot papers this time round as the Registrar of Societies has said its does not recognize the party’s Central Executive Committee. It added that it was assessing the DAP’s registration following a dispute by some members who complained they were prevented from attending and therefore participating in the CEC elections.
The ROS decision, delivered to the DAP on Thursday is as big a blow that can delivered to any party preparing for Nomination Day this Saturday (20 April). Nay, it could be a death blow, whether carried out with deliberate calculation in the eyes of the victim or a simple question of following the letter of the law in the conduct of party matters.
As protagonists in this case, the ROS is merely doing its job. The DAP which as the receiving end of the decision immediately cried foul as the timing – almost on the eve of nomination – feed fuel to its accusation of partisanship.
Is this going to clip the wings of the opposition in the elections? Yes and no.
If this was a pre-meditated campaign to achieve this goal – and we certainly, not for one second, even think that this is so – then it might simply have the opposite of the desired effect. It would simply invite the wrath of even the most disinterested non-voter floating out there. The ROS, rightly or wrongly, is seen as an administrative arm of the State and, being the animal that it is, can hardly seen as not doing its bidding. Public perception or misperceived notions build over time and great effort has to be made to orientate or re-orientate as the case may be.
The aggrieved party on the other hand, should not immediately cry political persecution which is all too easy a straw to clutch on at this time. The DAP should have seen this coming. It chose to ignore the warning bells rung so baldly soon after its CEC elections. Perhaps it was riding the crest of a confidence wave and believed in its infallibility.
Barisan Nasional appears loathed to handle this potential hot potato too and is treading on this issue gingerly. Already Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi has urged the ROS not to ban the DAP leadership.
His caution is understandable. Handled wrongly, it could backfire on the BN. Just imagine the wave – not the say wrath – of sympathy that the DAP and the opposition pact will garner should the rocket fail to lift off on Nomination Day.
Already, the opposition pact is licking their lips at the prospect of mobilizing sympathy votes in their direction. Contesting the elections using the flags and symbols of PAS or PKR as a flag of convenience might work in the opposition’s favour.
The rocket might fail to take off but this failure might just ignite an unintended wave.
Razak Chik
Fri Apr 19 2013
Gaza Freedom Flotilla: Ada kemungkinan lokasi pelepasan kapal terpaksa ditukar - FFC
Terdapat kemungkinan pelabuhan bagi pelepasan kapal yang terlibat dalam misi Break the Siege of Gaza Freedom Flotilla terpaksa ditukar.
AWANI Ringkas: Semua 10 mayat dihantar ke Hospital Permaisuri Bainun Ipoh
Ikuti rangkuman berita utama yang menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari di Astro AWANI menerusi AWANI Ringkas.
Pantau Belanjawan: Meningkatkan kecekapan, produktiviti perkhidmatan kesihatan
Pantau Belanjawan membawa perkembangan terkini tentang aplikasi perkhidmatan komunikasi kesihatan, MedPlanner.
Johor laksana sunat istisqa' dan khutbah khas
Kerajaan negeri memandang serius keadaan kemarau yang berlaku di beberapa tempat dalam negara khususnya di negeri Johor.
Nahas helikopter Lumut: Jenazah Komander Firdaus dikebumi di Pulau Pinang
Komander Muhammad Firdaus Ramli ,44, akan dikebumikan di kampung halamannya di Sungai Nibong Besar, Pulau Pinang.
Nahas helikopter Lumut: 'Takut tak sempat lepas ni' - Kakak pilu kenang permintaan terakhir arwah
Noryani berkata dia reda dengan pemergian adiknya itu selepas ibu bapa mereka meninggal dunia Januari dan Ogos tahun lalu.
Dilarang guna 'gajet', kanak-kanak cuba terjun bangunan
Anggota JBPM Perak berkata pihaknya hanya mengambil masa tujuh minit bagi memujuk dan menyelamatkan kanak-kanak itu.
[KRONOLOGI] Nahas Helikopter TLDM
Berikut adalah info berkenaan dengan kronologi dua helikopter yang dilaporkan bertembung dan terhempas di Pangkalan Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia (TLDM).
[INFOGRAFIK] Perang Palestin-Israel | Fakta Nombor (Sehingga 19 April 2024)
Berikut adalah info berkenaan dengan perang Palestin-Israel, fakta nombor, sehingga 19 April 2024.
Presiden Iran, Pakistan adakan pertemuan luas kerjasama
Presiden Iran, Ebrahim Raisi mengadakan pertemuan dengan Presiden Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari, di kediaman rasmi Presiden di Islamabad dalam lawatan tiga hari beliau ke negara tersebut pada Isnin.
'Hormati hak MCA tidak kempen kecuali calon dari BN' - Pemuda MCA
Pemuda MCA tidak akan menghalang mana-mana parti yang mahu membantu DAP untuk berkempen dalam Pilihan Raya Kecil (PRK) Kuala Kubu Baharu (KKB), Mei ini.
PRK Kuala Kubu Baharu: DAP sokong penuh siapa sahaja calon Kerajaan Perpaduan - Nga
DAP akan memberi sokongan penuh kepada siapa sahaja calon yang mewakili Kerajaan Perpaduan bagi PRK DUN Kuala Kubu Baharu pada 11 Mei ini.
DAP hormati keputusan mahkamah libat isu tahanan rumah Najib
DAP akan menghormati keputusan mahkamah berhubung permohonan bekas Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Razak untuk menghabiskan baki hukuman penjara enam tahun sebagai tahanan di rumah.
PH bermesyuarat esok muktamadkan calon PRK Kuala Kubu Baharu
Kepimpinan tertinggi Pakatan Harapan (PH) akan bermesyuarat esok untuk memuktamadkan pemilihan calon yang mewakili gabungan itu pada PRK Kuala Kubu Baharu, Selangor, 11 Mei ini.
PRK Kuala Kubu Baharu: Wanita DAP punyai beberapa calon layak untuk diketengahkan
Wanita DAP mempunyai beberapa nama untuk diketengahkan sebagai calon mewakili Pakatan Harapan (PH), pada PRK Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) Kuala Kubu Baharu, Selangor, 11 Mei ini.
DAP belum bincang PRK, tumpu pengebumian Lee - Teo
DAP mahu tumpu urusan pengebumian mendiang Lee Kee Hiong sebagai penghormatan kepada penyandang kerusi DUN berkenaan.
DAP tubuh jawatankuasa urus pengebumian mendiang ADUN Kuala Kubu Baharu
DAP Selangor akan menubuhkan satu jawatankuasa khusus bagi menguruskan pengebumian Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (ADUN) Kuala Kubu Baharu Lee Kee Hiong yang meninggal dunia hari ini.
DAP sokong keberanian PM jadi suara antarabangsa dalam isu Palestin - Loke
Setiausaha Agung DAP, Anthony Loke berkata, ini kerana kekejaman di Gaza hanya dapat ditamatkan melalui penyelesaian antarabangsa.
UMNO-DAP: Pemimpin perlu tunjuk teladan, hindari kenyataan sensitif - Penganalisis
Pemimpin dalam parti komponen yang membentuk Kerajaan Perpaduan perlu menunjukkan teladan yang baik kepada akar umbi demi mengekalkan kestabilan yang wujud.
'DAP jangan guris hati orang Melayu' - Ahmad Maslan
Pimpinan utama parti dalam Kerajaan Perpaduan diminta lebih berhati-hati ketika mengeluarkan kenyataan kerana dikhuatiri boleh menyinggung perasaan orang Melayu dan Bumiputera.