NEW STRAITS TIMES
KUALA LUMPUR: Tan Sri M. Kayveas claimed that his presidency of People’s Progressive Party (myPPP) was confirmed to be valid by the Registrar of Societies (RoS).
He said that this should put to rest disputes on who is the rightful party president following an internal party tussle between factions aligned to him and Datuk Seri Maglin Dennis D’Cruz.
Kayveas said he had even tried to settle matters with Maglin to no avail.
“I have been called by the Registrar of Societies, who said to me ‘You are the president. Please settle with Maglin D’Cruz’.
“I called Maglin. we had three meetings. He did not want to settle. That is up to him,” Kayveas said during a press conference outside myPPP headquarters here this afternoon.
Kayveas said that moves by a party faction to remove him were invalid as it was done in contravention of the party constitution.
“You (anti-Kayveas faction) cannot take the BN (Barisan Nasional) secretary-general’s letter and conduct disciplinary proceedings on any member of the party,” he said.
He said that due to constant attempts formulated at secret meetings to remove the party president since 1975, the party in 1996 amended its constitution by putting in a special clause to prevent this.
“In 1996, we amended the (party) constitution to put special clause whereby no president can be removed unless in an AGM (annual general assembly) via election or with knowledge of the general assembly.
“This is in myPPP’s Article 9.1.3. One cannot just simply remove the president (without following the provisions of the party constitution)
“Even I cannot just resign. My resignation would not be legal and correct, and I cannot just hand it over to another person.
“No one can replace (the party president) unless via AGM or EGM. The RoS recognises this,” Kayveas said.
He also claimed that the faction seeking to remove him even went to the extent of forging two complaint letters by two party members as an excuse to remove him.
“The (party) president cannot be removed by having midnight meetings at a hotel and say we remove the president.
“How can one call a supreme council meeting without the president? The constitution is clear.
“The president calls for the supreme council meeting. Otherwise, the meeting is illegal,” he said.
Kayveas however added that the door was always open for reconciliation and that as long as the party faction admits its mistake, they can rejoin myPPP.
