Yesterday, Tengku Sariffuddin had released a second statement describing Lim as “DAP’s half-century long dictator” and as the opposition’s real leader.
He said Lim was doing what dictators do in blaming others, creating hate and taking no responsibility for his misdeeds, adding “but this will not help solve the dire predicament DAP now faces”.
“If my political retirement is the condition for the end of the Umno/BN conspiracy to deregister DAP, say so, and I will give it consideration,” Lim said in a statement today.
The Gelang Patah MP also called for Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who is also home minister, not to accuse DAP of voicing its concern that the sword of Damocles hangs over the party following the comments that has come from the prime minister’s office.
“Zahid is going after the wrong target when he called on DAP leaders to cease speculating that DAP may be outlawed by the Registrar of Societies (RoS), as the speculation started from the inner sanctum of the Prime Minister’s Office when Tengku Sarifuddin raised this possibility in his political exchange with DAP’s director of political education and Kluang MP, Liew Chin Tong last Thursday.
“If Tengku Sariffuddin had trespassed into Zahid’s territory and jurisdiction as the RoS is under the home ministry and not the Prime Minister’s Department, he should have been censured for his statement,” Lim said.
Yesterday, Zahid was reported to have said that he did not see any effort to deregister DAP “or otherwise”, adding that he had discussed the matter with the RoS director-general and had not received a final decision on DAP’s appeal.
“I will meet RoS again next week and I hope they can provide a written report by then.”
Lim speculated on the possible power struggle within Prime Minister Najib Razak’s administration as being the cause of mixed messages coming from the highest echelons of government.
“The power balance in the Najib administration has gone as askew that Zahid’s removal as DPM is more likely than the censure of the press secretary to the Prime Minister, so long as Najib is the prime minister.
“This was confirmed as within hours of Zahid’s comments being made Tengku Sariffuddin issued another statement which clearly showed that there are two power centres in the Najib administration on the issue of DAP’s deregistration,” Lim said.
He then called for Najib not to beat around the bush and hide behind the press secretary or a phalanx of overly-paid hack propagandists and publicists, in matters concerning DAP.
Sariffuddin to Kit Siang: Blame DAP members for RoS complaint