I am most amused to read the way Dr Puad Zarkashi likened DAP to Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) as both political parties use the same term “democratic” in both their names.
He said, “If we believe North Korea is a democratic nation because it is known as the Democratic People’s Republic of North Korea (DPRK), then we can also believe DAP is a Democratic Party.”
Puad should know that DAP is an opposition party which subscribes to Social Democracy in a democratic country called Malaysia, whereas DPRK is a political party which subscribes to Communism and rules in a communist state called North Korea.
According to the website of DPRK, it says “The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is guided in its activities by the Juche idea authored by President Kim Il Sung. The Juche idea means, in a nutshell, that the masters of the revolution and construction are the masses of the people and that they are also the motive force of the revolution and construction. ” (http://www.korea-dpr.com/juche_ideology.html)
The members of the Central Executive Committee (CEC) of the DAP are elected by the delegates of branches in the triennial party congress. Every DAP branch will elect office bearers and delegates through Annual General Assembly (AGM) to elect CEC members and state leaders of the DAP.
Both Lim Kit Siang and Lim Guan Eng are elected by the DAP delegates in the party Congress through democratic elections within the party. Unlike DPRK, where all decisions of the party and the government are decided by the Leader, i.e. Kim Jong-En.
It is lame of Puad Zakarshi to cite DAP facing problems with the Registrar of Societies (ROS) knowing full well that ROS is part of the government machinery under the direction of the ruling party.
In fact, the many undemocratic policies and operations of UMNO in Malaysia has many similarities with DPRK in North Korea, especially on the manner of clamping down political dissents. So, using the logic of Puad, may be UMNO is the sister party to DPRK as both parties clamp down political dissents in a high-handed manner and both parties practise pseudo-democracy.