PH wants RoS to relook registration bid

Pakatan Harapan's earlier bid to register as a coalition was stymied after the RoS cited problems with DAP and PPBM.

Pakatan Harapan component parties had sought to register as a coalition to use a common symbol in the May 9 election.

KUALA LUMPUR: Pakatan Harapan (PH) today expressed hope that the Registrar of Societies (RoS) would reevaluate its application to register as a coalition after having filed a challenge against the department for delayed registration.

Haniff Khatri Abdulla, one of PH’s lawyers, said the ball was now in the RoS’ court on whether to relook the application or leave it to the courts to decide on the pact’s status.

“We urge the RoS to relook our registration, and we will decide what we want to do with our case after the RoS makes its stand,” he said when asked about PH’s pending court case.

The case was filed before the May 9 election, but the High Court today postponed it to July 12.

On March 1, the High Court granted PH leave to challenge the RoS’ refusal to register it as a coalition. The RoS had cited problems with PH component parties DAP and PPBM.

The one-time opposition pact which was formed last year comprises DAP, PKR, PPBM and Amanah.

The parties had sought to register the coalition so that they could use a common symbol to contest the election.

Due to the delay in registration, however, PH chairman Dr Mahathir Mohamad said its candidates would contest under the PKR logo.

PH won 113 parliamentary seats out of the total 222, forming the federal government with a simple majority.

Barisan Nasional, which had ruled Malaysia for over 60 years, won only 79 parliamentary seats. -FMT