PETALING JAYA (April 19) : The DAP today confirmed that its Rocket symbol will be missing from the general election (GE13), following the failure of the Registrar of Societies (ROS) to revoke its letter rejecting party's central executive committee (CEC).

This means for the first time in its 48-year history, DAP candidates will contest under another party's banner, in this case, PAS in peninsular Malaysia , and PKR in Sabah and Sarawak.

The party had given the RoS until 5pm to day to revoke the letter sent on Wednesday evening, which stated that it did not recognise the DAP CEC.

The letter put DAP leadership in a fix as it meant the secretary-general, Lim Guan Eng, was unable to sign the authorisation letters for its candidates. The party is contesting 53 parliamentary seats and 103 state seats in the GE13.

DAP leader Lim Kit Siang today said that this was an extraordinary situation as for the first time in history a party was forced to use a symbol that is not their own but borrowed from another party.

He said that party candidates could not risk submitting authorisation letters signed by its secretary-general, whose position is currently being scrutinised by the RoS.

“This is the first time another party is using a symbol of another. But, terpaksalah (forced to),” said Kit Siang at a function in Johor Bahru.

“We have no choice unless we get news from RoS that they will revoke it. But, I am not optimistic at all,” said Kit Siang.

However, he is taking this as a good show of camaraderie that can boost the cooperation between the opposition parties but raised his concerns that it will create confusion.

“Won’t this create confusion? It is possible that the confusion will cause DAP not to get strong support.

“This is a possibility that cannot be pushed aside,” he said.

The DAP veteran also reaffirmed that it would contest under PAS and PKR symbols in Peninsular Malaysia and East Malaysia respectively for GE13.

This is despite the RoS director-general reportedly stating that DAP can continue to use its rocket symbol for the elections as the party has not been deregistered. But the party leaders maintain that this is a risk they are unwilling to take.

Johor DAP chairman Boo Cheng Hau also echoed the Kit Siang's statement of not wanting to take the risk (of contesting under the Rocket symbol) because the CEC is not recognised.

“I feel really sad. This is dark spot for the party. We are faced with obstacles and difficulties for a democratic parliament.

“We want an election that is fair with a logo that they (voters) recognised. However, this basis was denied by the current government,” said Boo.