Mind your own business, Dr M told after accusing ROS of bias

Following an accusation of bias from opposition leader Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Umno secretary-general Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor said the Registrar of Societies (ROS) must have had its reasons for its extending the deadline for the party’s supreme council election.

Yesterday, Mahathir called the ROS’ approval to extend the deadline to 2019 a glaring show of partisanship, as the registrar had yet to even acknowledge Pakatan Harapan’s application to form a coalition submitted eight months ago.

It is unclear, however, when Umno applied for the deadline extension.

When asked to comment on Mahathir’s complaints, Tengku Adnan said, “Tell him to mind his own party’s business. The ROS must have its reasons…

“We’ve got law and order. Please follow the rules and regulations.

“This country is governed by law and order; you’ve got your MPs in Parliament to talk about law, yet when you come out you don’t bother and about law and order. Why are you doing that?” he asked.

Tengku Adnan was speaking to reporters after a visit to a new multi-story carpark for PPR Pekan Kepong and the nearby wet market.

Besides accusing ROS of preferential treatment, Mahathir (photo) had also claimed that the circumstances surrounding the approval were questionable, due to Umno's apparent disregard of formal procedure when applying for the extension.

Mahathir, who was himself Umno president for over two decades until 2003, said such a major decision needs to be made at an annual or extraordinary general meeting.

“But we have not heard of any decision made in any Umno general meeting whatsoever,” the now Pakatan Harapan chairperson said.

Other critics of the decision had pointed out that Umno should have been automatically deregistered on Feb 28, after a previous extension of the deadline lapse.

In contrast, ROS had told Bersatu on Friday to furnish its meeting minutes and financial documents for all its branches and divisions in 30 days or face deregistration. -Mkini