(Oct 29): The prolonged probe by the Registrar of Societies (RoS) into DAP is a move to "curb the party's influence and prevent it from expanding", its secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said.

He said with the probe still ongoing, the party cannot expand by setting up new branches, although it could still register new members.

"The RoS can investigate as long and as many times as it wants. But we don't want this to be seen as an exercise of victimisation and prosecution...to single out DAP because we oppose the 1MDB (1Malaysia Development Berhad) and the RM2.6 billion donation scandals.

"It is just like how Penang has been discriminated and not given any new projects under Budget 2016. This is part of a continuous trend that is not based on justice, but based on politics," he told reporters in Penang, where he is chief minister.

In a written reply to DAP lawmaker Anthony Loke in the Dewan Rakyat, Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the RoS probe was ongoing as DAP had not taken the appropriate steps recommended by the authority.

The probe was initiated after complaints were filed by disgruntled DAP members over the party's central executive committee (CEC) election. The party had announced that there was a glitch in the tabulation of votes in the election held in December 2012.

The mistake was corrected but complaints were filed, prompting the party to hold a re-election, which saw the same people elected into the committee. The RoS refused to accept the re-election results when complaints were still made.

In January last year, Lim filed for a judicial review to quash the RoS decision not to recognise the re-election results but it was withdrawn nine months later.

Lawyer Gobing Singh Deo, who represented the party, said a letter from the RoS to Lim in December, which said the CEC was to refrain from making any party decisions during the probe, was just advisory and had no legal effect on its operations.

Lim also alleged that abuse and double standards were at play in the issue.

"The probe is based on complaints and the RoS wants to investigate even when the complaints had no basis.

"When we complained about incidents like our pictures were burned, there was action taken on those responsible. But if such acts are committed against Barisan Nasional leaders, then action is taken immediately."

DAP's woes with RoS, which started just as the country was getting ready for the 2013 general election, almost made it unable to field candidates under the party's name and symbol.

With the next polls due by 2018, Lim said it is yet to be seen how the ongoing probe can affect the party, should the matter be prolonged further.

"We will have to see. Now the home ministry is employing every tactic to undermine the opposition, namely DAP.

"As they say, when the going gets tough, the tough get going. We will just have to go on and work harder, like how we do things in Penang with all the limitations that we face," he said.

Earlier today, Loke said it was unreasonable for RoS to drag its feet in the probe, calling it a political ploy. He also expressed concerns that RoS might slap the party with a notice at the 11th hour in the next polls. – The Malaysian Insider