DAP today welcomed a new member into the party, former diplomat Yeop Adlan Che Rose.

Party veteran Lim Kit Siang, in handing Yeop's his life membership card, said it was a "homecoming", as the latter's father, Che Rose Abdullah, contested under the DAP ticket in the Alor Pongsu constituency in Perak in the 1974 by-election.

"I remember my late father telling me that the only way to (promote the) position of Malays, was through a multi-racial party, Malaysians for all.

"In fact, I realise I should have come (into the party) a long time ago. But it is never too late to do the right thing. I want to make the rest of my life useful, and this is the most useful cause," the 74-year-old Yeop (photo) said.

He added that he decided to join DAP after he was convinced of the party's achievement in administrating Penang - a feat that he claimed the BN could not do in its 60 years of ruling the country. 

"We have been waiting and waiting for the kind of government that we want, and DAP has shown it can do it, and has done it in Penang. In just two terms, DAP has created a clean and efficient government with integrity."

Yeop is now an ordinary member of DAP in the Damansara branch, which falls under the Petaling Jaya Utara parliamentary seat. 

He joined PAS in 2003, but was seconded to PKR in 2006, before returning to the Islamist party in 2009. 

Yeop admitted that he had yet to submit an official letter of resignation from PAS, for he assumed that his membership had been terminated, automatically, after years of being non-active in PAS. 

"I will send the letter immediately," he said when pressed further on the matter.

Yeop had served as the deputy high commissioner to Singapore and the UK in the 1980s, as well as the envoy to Spain and Mexico, in 1986 and 1992, respectively, before retiring in 1995. 

In the 2004 general election, he was fielded in the Hulu Langat parliamentary seat under PAS' ticket. 

According to Yeop, he left PAS as "the latter had failed to safeguard the people, through its religious struggle."

When asked if Yeop will be fielded as a candidate in the next general, DAP organising secretary Anthony Loke said the party is yet to discuss the former's role. 

He said Yeop had only applied to join DAP, via email last month, and had met Lim (Kit Siang) for the first time, only today. 

"The Alor Pongsu by-election 43 years ago is a testimony that right from the beginning of DAP's formation 52 years ago, the party had never regarded itself as a Chinese of a non-Malay party," said Lim. 

DAP has often been slammed as anti-Malay, and anti-Islam by its political opponents, especially Umno and PAS. In a bid to counter the image, the party has tried to recruit Malay members and field them in elections. 

According to Loke, DAP has less than 10 percent, Malay members.