Lim Guan Eng will remain as DAP vice-chairman despite not standing for the central executive committee elections at the party's 13th annual congress which ended in Kuala Lumpur today.

An emergency resolution was tabled this afternoon by the CEC to appoint Lim to the party leadership line-up and this was unanimously backed by the 300-odd delegates.

Deputy chairman Karpal Singh told the delegates that Lim was appointed "in recognition of his contributions and sacrifices".

"However his appointment is subject to exemption that has to be granted by the Registrar of Societies," said Karpal.

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

He said section 9(A) (4) of the same act, however, provides for an exemption whereby such a person can be allowed to hold office if granted permission by the Registrar of Societies.

Yesterday, Lim surprised delegates when he withdrew from contesting a CEC seat due to concerns that a previous jail sentence he served may be 'exploited later by irresponsible parties' to declare the CEC elections null and void.

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

As a result of his conviction and sentencing, Lim, son of party chairman Lim Kit Siang, lost the Kota Melaka parliamentary seat which he had held since 1986.

New line-up

Meanwhile, party secretary-general Kerk Kim Hock announced the new DAP leadership line-up for the next three years which saw no major changes. The leaders for the various positions are elected by 27 CEC members.

Kit Siang retains his position as party chairman, Karpal as deputy chairman and Tan Seng Giaw, Ahmad Nor, Guan Eng and new face Wong Ho Leng as vice-chairmen.

Kerk, who is member of Parliament (MP) for Kota Melaka, retains his post as secretary-general. His deputies are MP for Bukit Mertajam Chong Eng, former MP M Kulasegaran and Zulklifli Mohd Noor.

A notable exclusion to the new line-up is DAP Youth chief Teng Chang Khim, who had created a stir by calling on Lim Kit Siang to step down prior to the congress. He was not elected by the CEC to any party post and remains an ordinary CEC member.

Eight other resolutions proposed by the CEC touching on politics, the economy, education, national unity, human development and the Islamic state concept were passed unanimously.

The CEC's resolution asking the delegates to give it powers to resolve the Islamic state controversy with PAS was passed unanimously.

The resolution to limit the term of the party's national chairman and the secretary-general to three terms or nine years was not debated as the representative from the branch which proposed it was absent.

Kerk said this proposal had been discussed in previous CEC meetings but members did not come to a consensus regarding the issue.

Below is the party's new line-up for the 2001-2004 term.

Life advisor: Chen Man Hin

National chairman: Lim Kit Siang

Deputy chairman: Karpal Singh

Vice-chairmen:
Tang Seng Giaw(Mp for Kepong)
Ahmad Nor
Lim Guan Eng
Wong Ho Leng

Secretary-general: Kerk Kim Hock

Deputy secretaries:
Chong Eng (MP for Bukit Mertajam)
M Kulasegaran
Zulklifli Mohd Noor

Treasurer: Fong Kui Lun (MP for Bukit Bintang)

Assistant Treasurer: Ngeh Koo Ham

National organising secretary: Tan Kok Wai (MP for Cheras)

Assistants:
Sia Leong Peng
Vincent Woo
Publicity secretary: Ronnie Liu

Assistants:
Chow Kon Yeow
Fong Poh Kuan (MP for Batu Gajah)

International secretary: Teresa Kok

Political education director: Hew Kuan Yau

Committee members:
Teng Chang Khim (state assemblyman for Bandar Klang)
Lim Hock Seng (MP for Bagan)
T Gunasegaran
Abdul Rahman Syed Ali
Pang Hock Leong
Nga Kor Ming
Leong Ngah Ngah