PN suspended pending RoS explanation

The Registrar of Societies (RoS) has suspended Perikatan Nasional (PN) following a notice issued to the coalition seeking an explanation of a complaint lodged by Bersatu.

In a statement, RoS said the suspension, which took effect yesterday, was intended to safeguard the interests of the organisation and prevent it from continuing to breach its rules.

It stressed that the notice was not a decision to cancel PN’s registration.

In a statement, RoS said it issued the suspension notice under Subsection 13(2) of the Societies Act 1966 dated Sept 22, giving PN a reasonable period to respond.

The development comes a day after questions arose over PN’s status following the circulation of a purported RoS notice on social media.

Sinar Harian reported that the notice allegedly gave PN chairman Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar 30 days to submit representations to the registrar.

A Bersatu source meanwhile told FMT that the notice was authentic and that PN secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan and leaders of other coalition components had also been notified.

Bersatu secretary-general Azmin Ali subsequently confirmed that the party had received a copy of the RoS letter to PN.

RoS today urged all parties to refer to official information issued by the department and avoid speculation or the dissemination of unverified information that could cause confusion among the public.

The suspension comes amid worsening ties between Bersatu and PAS after PAS took over the PN chairmanship in February through Samsuri, who is also the Islamic party’s vice-president.

In June, PAS decided to end its political cooperation with Bersatu. Opposition leader Hamzah Zainudin’s Wawasan and former Kedah menteri besar Mukhriz Mahathir’s Pejuang were subsequently admitted as PN components.

PN also formed an alliance with Barisan Nasional in the Negeri Sembilan state election, a move Bersatu claimed was made unilaterally. Bersatu contested all 24 seats on its own and suffered defeats in each.

PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang later claimed Bersatu had automatically ceased to be a PN component after announcing plans to form a new coalition, but Bersatu disputed the claim.