ROS probes DAP over Tee's sacking

Ex-DAP member Tee Boon Hock has revealed that the Registrar of Societies (ROS) is probing his sacking by the party in July.

Tee said he was called in earlier this month and that the meeting lasted an hour, over his complaint filed in September that he had not been accorded due process.

“They didn’t give me any chance to explain myself. They didn’t even give any show-cause letter, so there was no due process,” he said when contacted.

Tee (left) said he hopes the ROS can reinstate him as a member of the party.

Now that the ROS has opened a file into his complaint, there is every likelihood that DAP disciplinary committee chairperson Tan Kok Wai will be called in for his side of the story.

Tan told Malaysiakini that the ROS has yet to contact him, but seemed unperturbed by the probe.

“Tee’s case happened a long time ago. Now that they have started to investigate, why the slow action? The head of the ROS should be sacked,” Tan said.

On July 31, the DAP had sacked Tee for alleged misuse of power as he was found to have issued support letters to his son’s company to secure Klang Municipal Council contracts.

Tee denied knowing that his son has a share in the company when the letter was issued. He also accused his boss, Selangor exco Ronnie Liu (right), of having issued similar letters to his son’s company.

Liu was issued a warning for mismanagement of his subordinate (since Tee was his aide) and for damaging the party’s image.

In August, the Selangor government dismissed Tee as Klang municipal councillor for alleged breach of ethics.

‘ROS must obey law’

Tan insisted that the DAP central committee’s decision to sack Tee is final and that it considers the case closed.

He also pointed out that, based on Article 18(c) of the Societies Act 1966, all decisions of a political party are final and cannot be challenged in court.

“The law is clear and since the ROS operates under the law, it must obey the law,” said Tan (left).

On Tee’s claim that he was not given a show-cause letter, Tan said the disciplinary committee is not obliged to do so.

“Article 4 of Chapter 7 of the party constitution states that the committee ‘may’ request an explanation,” he said.

“This means that it is not compulsory to issue a show-cause letter. The committee has the discretion to decide whether or not to issue one.”

He said Tee had been given a chance to explain himself, as he was invited to attend the hearing with his witnesses .

However, the committee found clear evidence that Tee had breached discipline and decided to sack him, added Tan.

On Liu’s loss in Selangor

Meanwhile, asked about Liu’s position in Selangor DAP following his loss in the state-level elections last weekend, Tee said the delegates had sent a clear message in rejecting him.

“He is an exco and a senior party leader, yet he only managed to get 369 votes. He even lost to an unknown candidate,” said Tee.

“If you lose so terribly and you support the Selangor government’s CAT (competence, accountability and transparency) policy, then the right thing to do would be to resign.”