KUALA LUMPUR – The High Court’s decision to temporarily suspend the Registrar of Societies Malaysia’s (RoS) order does not change the fact that Perikatan Nasional (PN) has had its registration cancelled, according to Armada Bersatu Malaysia information chief Harris Idaham Rashid.
Harris said Armada respected the court’s decision but stressed that the suspension would remain in effect only until the judicial review process was fully completed.
He said PN’s deregistration would stand if the judicial review failed to establish that RoS had erred in making its decision.
Harris also questioned the PN secretary-general’s decision to convene another Supreme Council meeting and invite Bersatu, describing the move as inconsistent with the coalition’s earlier position.
He pointed out that Bersatu had previously been excluded from the July 16 meeting on the grounds of an alleged quorum issue involving the party’s Supreme Leadership Council.
Harris questioned why Bersatu was now being invited despite the party having the same quorum, and while it remained a PN component party at the time of the earlier meeting.
He maintained that excluding Bersatu from the previous meeting had breached PN’s constitution and contributed to the coalition’s deregistration.
According to Harris, the latest invitation suggested that PN’s administration had recognised its earlier mistake and was attempting to rectify it, but the move came too late to change what had already occurred.
The dispute began after RoS issued an order cancelling PN’s registration and prohibiting the use of its official logo under the Societies Act 1966.
The enforcement action followed a formal complaint by Bersatu alleging eight constitutional violations, including the denial of its leaders’ right to attend and vote at the July 16 Supreme Council meeting.
PN subsequently filed for a judicial review at the High Court to challenge the deregistration order and sought a temporary stay pending the full proceedings.
The court granted the stay on Thursday, allowing the coalition’s administrative secretariat to convene another Supreme Council meeting involving all component parties while the judicial review proceeds.
-AWANI
