KOTA KINABALU: LDP Karambunai divisional chief Loretto Padua Jr is urging the Registrar of Societies (ROS) to clarify the issue of the party’s annual general meeting which was held on Oct 19-20 last year.
According to Loretto, ROS had initially issued a letter saying that there is no LDP AGM or election to be held on the two dates but former LDP Secretary General Datuk Teo Chee Kang and his supporters have gone against the instruction and proceeded to hold the meeting.
“I was present at the meeting in ROS’ headquarters in Putrajaya last year where LDP President Datuk VK Liew, myself, Datuk Pang Nyuk Ming, Datuk Teo, Datuk Chin Su Phin and a couple of LDP leaders brought the matter up to the ROS director.
“It was the Director who said that there would be no meeting or election on Oct 19 and 20 and ROS issued a letter stating that which VK signed but Teo and his supporters did not. So how is it that ROS had, in January said that it had studied and endorsed the AGM and election which had been held on these two dates when it has in the first place said there was no meeting or election?” Loretto said.
Speaking to members and leaders of three LDP divisions including Karambunai here yesterday, Loretto who was appointed LDP Secretary General by Liew also wants ROS to explain why an individual who had been sacked from the party was allowed to organize and hold the meeting as well as election.
“The issue that we have to deal with now is to find out if Teo’s sacking by VK was valid, if yes then why was he allowed to hold the meeting and election,” he said.
Loretto also told those who attended the luncheon that ROS has no jurisdiction to decide on cases involving disputes in political parties as its role is only as mediator.
ROS can only issue a show cause letter to those involved in the dispute asking them why they feel that their party should not be registered, he said adding that if they do not reply within 30 days, the party will be deregistered.
Loretto also claimed that ROS has not been cooperative with them as their requests for a copy of the letter endorsing Teo’s leadership has yet to be complied with.
“We have informed ROS of the change in address, fax number, telephone number and even included our (Liew and his) personal email addresses in our request letters but to no avail,” he lamented.
“All Datuk VK wanted was a fair and clean party election but he was denied that by Teo and his supporters,” Loretto claimed.