IF BERSATU IS THE WAY MAHATHIR RUNS A PARTY, NO WONDER MALAYSIA IS STEPS AWAY FROM CRISIS: WITH SO MANY UMNO BAD HATS AS MEMBERS, DOES IT MATTER IF MURKY BERSATU – WITH LITTLE CREDIBILITY TO ITS NAME – DELAYS POLLS TO ‘AVOID’ RUNNING AFOUL OF ROS

BERSATU is considering postponing its inaugural elections to avoid the risk of deregistration, said sources.

A delay would ensure that all of the party branches are compliant with the Societies Act 1966, they said.

“We have a few branches that failed to be set up in the three months after their registrations were approved by the Registrar of Societies,” a source told The Malaysian Insight.

Section 12(3) of the Societies Act states that a branch may only be set up after its registration is approved by RoS.

Section 12(6) of the same act states that the approval is valid for three months unless RoS grants the branch an extension.

It is understood that Bersatu may defer its elections for six months up to a year.

Bersatu must amend its constitution, however, if it wishes to hold off the polls as clause 13.3 states that the office-bearers and 15-man central committee must be elected at the party’s annual congress every three years.

The office-bearers who must be elected are the chairman, president, deputy president and three vice-presidents.

Similarly, elections must also be held every three years to elect the heads and committees of the youth and women’s wings.

Bersatu, which has only turned two in September last year, has yet to hold its first party elections. – The Malaysian Insight file pic, June 27, 2019.

The Bersatu constitution is unique in that it does not contain a provision to postpone party polls.

It has been reported that a constitutional amendment to include such a provision could be tabled in the party’s first extraordinary general meeting (EGM) scheduled for July 20.

Bersatu chairman Dr Mahathir Mohamad said amendments are necessary to correct shortcomings and enable the party to operate more smoothly.

Meanwhile, Bersatu secretary-general Marzuki Yahya told The Malaysian Insight it was not yet certain if party polls would be postponed.

Marzuki also declined to elaborate on the constitutional amendments to be proposed in the EGM.

“We will have a roadshow in July to gather feedback and explain the amendments to our members,” he said.

Bersatu was set up in September 2016 by former Umno leaders Dr Mahathir and Muhyiddin Yassin with the sole aim of defeating their former party.

Circumstances at that time meant that Dr Mahathir and Muhyiddin, who is deputy president, were appointed to their posts.

– https://www.themalaysianinsight.com