Efforts being made to fail Harapan registration, claims Dr M

Pakatan Harapan chairperson Dr Mahathir Mohamad today expressed his puzzlement on identical letters sent to the Registrar of Societies (ROS) by 400 Bersatu members over the legality of the party's annual general assembly.

He claimed that there appears to be an effort to give ROS a reason not to recognise Bersatu, which would lead to the failure to register the opposition coalition. 

"We heard that ROS received some 400 complaints from Bersatu members, who felt the annual general assembly held (last year) was not legitimate," Mahathir told a press conference today.

"But we are puzzled by the 400 members who used the same wording (in the letters).

"So, we see this as an effort, and we are unsure of which quarter, to give a reason for ROS not to allow our registration," the Bersatu chairperson said.

Similarly, for DAP, he added, ROS has yet to reply even though the party had fulfilled its requirements.

"I am concerned that ROS will not allow the registration of Harapan too," he said.

The Harapan premier-designate did not rule out the possibility of taking ROS to court over the matter.

Mahathir also reiterated the coalition's "Plan B" and "Plan C" if Harapan is not registered before the next general election, but did not elaborate on these plans.

"It is our right to have Harapan registered. Unless we have done something wrong. If we did anything wrong, then tell us,” he stressed.

Mahathir, who was prime minister for 22 years, had previously accused the ROS of deliberately delaying the registration.

Harapan had submitted their application to the ROS in the middle of last year.

Mahathir said this delay is a form of “insult” to the rakyat because they would be deprived of candidates they want to vote for.

Bersatu members had claimed that the inaugural AGM violated the party's constitution.

Last month, ROS said it had received 428 complaints about Bersatu's AGM, its sacking of party leaders, and the use of the name "Armada" for its youth wing, which is not listed in the party's constitution.

Meanwhile, Mahathir also alleged that a former party member was nabbed by the MACC for paying a Bersatu state leader to quit the party.

"That person was caught handing over money to get one of our leaders to leave the party. I don't know who was behind this, but it seems like the work of the government," he added.

However, Mahathir declined to reveal those involved in the alleged bribe.

Several Bersatu leaders had claimed that they received lucrative offers to quit the Umno splinter party.- Mkini