DAP vice-chairman Lim Guan Eng withdrew from contesting for a seat on the central executive committee (CEC) at the party's annual national congress today, claiming that he did not want any controversy regarding his status.

Lim surprised delegates at the party's 13th national congress in Kuala Lumpur when he announced that his decision was to 'put to rest doubts about the validity of the congress'.

"I do not want the validity of this congress to be questioned by certain irresponsible parties," he said.

"I am grateful for the support and encouragement. I will continue to stand by the DAP. We must stand together or else irresponsible forces outside will divide us," he added.

However, Lim did not wish to elaborate on what he meant by 'irresponsible forces'.

Immediately after Lim announced his decision not to contest, several delegates raised their objections. A woman stood up and shouted that she did not agree with Lim and several others followed suit. Speaker Lee Kon Meng had to appeal to the group to 'stay calm'.

Lim, son of DAP national chairman Lim Kit Siang, was a popular candidate and had high chances of winning a seat on the party's CEC. He has been with DAP for 20 years.

(In 1998, Lim was sentenced to 18 months in jail after he lost his appeal against a charge of publishing false news about an alleged sex scandal involving a 15-year-old girl and Rahim Thamby Chik, who was then Melaka mentri besar).

The High Court had originally fined him RM15,000 but the sentence was enhanced by the Court of Appeal and confirmed by the Federal Court with Lim ordered to serve an 18-month jail term. He was released from the Kajang prison on Aug 22, 1999.

As a result of his conviction and sentencing, Lim lost the Kota Melaka parliamentary seat which he had held since 1986.)

'Larger interests'

After the stir created by Lim's announcement had died down, DAP deputy chairperson Karpal Singh explained to the delegates that Lim's previous conviction and jail sentence may be exploited by 'certain quarters' to get today's CEC elections declared null and void.

Karpal highlighted section 9(A) of the Societies Act which states that a person can be disqualified from holding office in his own society if he has previously been fined RM2,000 or jailed for more than a year.

Karpal said that Lim could apply to the Registrar of Societies for exemption if he did win in the CEC elections today.

"But Guan Eng withdrew his candidacy due to the larger interest of the party. He does not want the party to be put at risk," added Karpal.