RoS denies Pakatan filed new bid to register

Registrar of Societies (RoS) director-general Abdul Rahman Othman has denied that Pakatan Rakyat had sent its representative to file a fresh application to register the coalition.

In an interview with Utusan Malaysia, Rahman (left) launched a broadside at Pakatan leaders PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution, PAS election director Dr Hatta Ramli and DAP's Anthony Loke, describing them as "liars who are greedy for power".

Denying any political trickery in handling the Pakatan application to be registered as a political coalition, Rahman told the Umno-owned Malay daily that the first application made by former PKR leader Zaid Ibrahim was automatically cancelled after Zaid quit PKR in November last year.

"He (Saifuddin) made noise because I didn't approve (the application). I didn't approve because there was nothing for me to approve as the applicant was no longer with PKR.

"They also said I always play politics because apparently the application of Parti Kesejahteraan Insan Tanah Air (Kita) led by Zaid was approved easily. (But) Kita only changed its name from Angkatan Keadilan Insan Malaysia (Akim). It is not a new party," he said.

Responding to Saifuddin's statementlast week that Pakatan had appointed PAS central committee member Kamaruddin Jaafar to make a fresh application, Rahman claimed Kamaruddin had never approached his department.

"Eh! How could I simply refuse if a MP had come? This is a new story created by Saifuddin. I had checked with my department. Indeed, Kamaruddin has never come to hand in the new application."

According to Rahman, although the RoS has no problem in approving Pakatan's registration, the coalition was not serious about its application.

"In fact, they have problems at grassroot level. They are still fighting among themselves. Even if we approve it, they will still have problems," he said when asked why Pakatan still refused to form a formal coalition.

'Don't forget the basic procedures'

"This is why they are just 'playing outside'. In addition, the first application has also 'gone missing'. Whether it is PAS, DAP or PKR... they are indeed not serious."

Rahman also challenged Pakatan to send in the application "if they are brave enough".

"I would like to ask, they (the opposition) have many smart lawyers who 'wrestle' here and there in the court. But why have they done nothing (on the application). Just like the previous press conference on Nov 3, don't pretend you know nothing."

He advised opposition politicians not to forget the basic procedures in their race to grab power.

"If we are to grab power, in the name of power, we lie to the people. This is not right."

The three-party coalition has been trying to register itself as a legal political coalition after its inception in April 2008.

However, time is not with the coalition as the BN is speculated to call for the 13^th general election in the next few months.

The three parties cannot field candidates under a common logo during an election without approval from RoS.