ROS affirms Mahathir resigned as Bersatu chair

The Registrar of Societies (ROS) has affirmed that Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin is the party’s acting chairperson after Dr Mahathir Mohamad tendered his resignation to Muhyiddin on February 24.

In a letter dated May 5, the ROS said this assessment is based on documents provided by the party.

“Based on documents provided - namely the chairperson’s resignation letter - the ROS confirms Mahathir’s resignation as Bersatu chairperson is valid and Muhyiddin’s assumption of the post of acting chairperson is also valid and is still in force in line with Bersatu’s constitution until a new chairperson is elected,” read the letter sighted by Malaysiakini.

The letter cites Article 16.9 of the party constitution for its verdict.

It stipulates that if the chairperson resigns or is sacked from the party, the president will assume the post of acting chairperson until a new chairperson is elected.

The letter is addressed to Bersatu organising secretary Suhaimi Yahya in response to his queries on the matter on May 1.

When contacted, an ROS spokesperson confirmed that the letter is legitimate.

Previously, Mahathir had resigned as both prime minister and Bersatu chairperson on February 24, after the party defied him and took Bersatu out of Pakatan Harapan to form Perikatan Nasional.

Shortly after the resignation, however, Bersatu had convinced him to stay on and announced Mahathir would remain as chairperson.

They then failed to convince Mahathir to go along with the PN plan and Muhyiddin’s faction subsequently disregarded the decision that they had asked him to stay on and rejected his resignation.

As Mahathir mounts a campaign against Muhyiddin, Bersatu is now arguing that the party did not have the power to reject Mahathir's resignation and therefore his resignation stood. - Mkini