PERIKATAN Nasional has been officially approved by the Registrar of Societies effective August 7, the department said in a statement today.

It added the coalition has been approved under the name Parti Perikatan Nasional under the political category. 

“Parti Perikatan Nasional has been registered under certificate number PPM-019-14-07082020, which was approved and signed by the registrar. 

“The approval was effective August 7, 2020 under the political category in line with the Societies Act 1966,” it added. 

The department also said the approval was not shown on its website as the latest data are only updated every two months. 

“PN’s approval will only be reflected on the RoS website in early October as the approval was only in August.” 

However, the department said a detailed inspection on the eROSES system would show that PN’s application has been approved on August 7.

The department was responding to a statement by PKR deputy youth chief Syed Badli Shah Syed Osman who had said his checks at the RoS website did not show PN as a registered entity.

He said he last checked at 2.22am today.

“I urge the RoS to clarify the status of PN’s registration. If it is true that PN is yet to be registered, then it means all its candidates for the Sabah state elections can’t contest under the banner, and should have their candidacy nulled,” he had said. 

PN, made up of Bersatu, SAPP and STAR, is contesting 29 seats in the Sabah polls. 

PN is also part of a bigger pact called Gagasan Rakyat Sabah of which Barisan Nasional and PBS are members. 

Bersatu vice-president Abdul Rashid Asari said on August 10 that PN has officially submitted its application to RoS. – September 14, 2020.