TTF: On the 20th of February 2018, Dr Mahathir Mohamad threatened the Registrar of Societies (RoS) with court action after alleging that the agency ignored multiple applications and requests made by Pakatan Harapan. Two months prior, his son gave us the impression that it was ok to bend rules when the RoS choses not to respond.
The son’s message was (effectively) as follows:
“If you were to write to the director-general of the RoS proposing reasons your party should be given leeway, you may go ahead and do as you please should the director-general ignore your proposal.”
In the case of the father, the message was (effectively) as follows:
“If you were to write to the director-general of the RoS proposing reasons your party should be given leeway, you may go ahead and sue the director-general should he fail to reply you.”
See the contradiction?
Both cases related one way or the other to PPBM’s validity as a party following its failure to conduct branch and division meetings. Ironically, the answers the duo was seeking from the RoS were spelt out clearly in the party’s constitution and the Societies Act 1966. But the father and son tag team preferred that you didn’t know that and performed media acrobatics to convince you that the RoS was determined to deregister the party.
But never mind that.
On the 9th of March 2018, the RoS gave PPBM until the 29th of March 2018 to furnish some answers and documents. According to its director-general, Surayati Ibrahim, the party was served with a notice pursuant to Section 14 (2) of the Societies Act 1996 requesting the minutes of branch, division and central meetings as well as the party’s financial statement.
It is already the 2nd of April 2018. There is no way in the world PPBM could have satisfied the RoS’ request as many branches and divisions have yet to convene, let alone conduct AGM’s or discuss finance. Yet, the party went ahead and submitted reports in a display of adherence to the agency’s request.
Question is, did the party also submit reports of branches and divisions that failed to convene as implied by Mohd Azimin Muhamad (see news item below)?
And why has Mahathir yet to sue the RoS like he promised to? Was it not he who implied that PPBM got into this mess primarily due to the agency’s failure in responding to his proposals? Or is he now going along with his son’s proposal that one may do as he (or she) pleases?
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KUALA LUMPUR: The saga of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) constitutional crisis continues when several members from its Selangor divisions told top leaders to stop lying over the party’s controversial meetings.
In a Press conference today, a Gombak PPBM division member Mohd Azimin Muhamad called out party secretary-general Datuk Dr Shahruddin Md Salleh to come clean concerning the status of the party’s branch and divisional meetings, which reportedly did not take place ahead of its annual general meeting last year.
Azimin said recent submission of PPBM’s branch, divisional and financial reports to the Registrar of Societies (RoS) by party executive secretary Kapten (Rtd) Muhammad Suhaimi Yahya, had rung alarm bells.
“What RoS had required from PPBM are its branch, divisional and financial reports, in a letter of a demand made effective on Feb 28. We are not so sure about the financial report, but we do know about the branch and divisional meetings. We were shocked.
“What meetings? Not just in Selangor, but we have also contacted our friends in Penang. They had never sat for any meeting either at the branch or divisional levels.
“So what kind of a report concerning the matter, was sent to the RoS? I believe that this is not only just a form of fraud against the RoS but a betrayal to all party members nationwide,” Azimin said.
Representing his colleagues, Azimin demanded Shahruddin to clear the air over “a fact that was clearly manipulated”.
“This is clearly a lie. For us, this is obviously a manipulation of facts concerning the meetings, forgery of meeting minutes at both branch and divisional levels, and a crime against a government department.”
Azimin said if the report on the meetings was proven to be fraudulent, the RoS should take immediate action.
“ And if something was to happen to PPBM following RoS’ actions, are we going to be beggars before other parties in Pakatan Harapan, and seek shelter from them?
“Are we going to seek help from DAP or PKR? We are PPBM members. We are not beggars.”
Azimin said the submission of such a report would create political disorder in Malaysia and strained ties between PPBM members and its allies.
Azimin pointed out that he would not hesitate to lodge police reports nationwide over the matter since PPBM members had been taken for a ride by the party leadership.
“We do not want a culture of dishonesty, just like the fraud concerning the People’s Declaration Personal Data to recur.”
Source: NST Online
