NEWLY formed Pejuang is seeking clarification from the Registrar of Societies (RoS) on the status of their application to register the party. 

In a statement today, the party’s pro-tem secretary-general Amiruddin Hamzah said it has been three months since they submitted their application, but have yet to hear anything from the body.

Amiruddin said Home Minister Hamzah Zainuddin and director-general of RoS, Masyati Abang Ibrahim must give urgent answers on the application. 

“Three months without any written replies from them is unacceptable. 

“This shows the RoS has become a government tool with political motives. This has caused some concerns among the people,” he said.

He also said the body had acted swiftly in other cases, citing the registration of Malaysia Makkal Sakti Party, which was approved in two weeks. 

He added that even the Perikatan Nasional pact was registered swiftly, which is suspicious. 

Pejuang, founded by Dr Mahathir Mohamad and a group of former Bersatu leaders, had submitted its registration to the RoS on August 19.

Amiruddin said the party had written to the RoS six times between September 15 and October 22 to seek the status of their registration, but without getting any replies. 

He added they had also written to Hamzah on the matter.

The Kubang Pasu MP also said the party had complied with a RoS request for the party’s new constitution, made during a meeting on September 28.

The amended constitution was handed over on October 2, he said.

Amiruddin said the RoS has ignored their request for approval to use the party’s logo as well as to launch an official website, which is legally allowed while awaiting the nod for registration.

Dr Mahathir announced the launch of Pejuang on August 7 as a new vehicle to fight for Malay rights, and to replace Bersatu, which they claimed had deviated from its original aim. 

Last August, Bersatu had sacked about 300 members, including several elected reps and supreme council members for going against party line and supporting Dr Mahathir. 

On Monday, Dr Mahathir issued a statement urging the government not to play politics in approving Pejuang’s registration.

The party’s seven founding members are Dr Mahathir, Mukhriz Mahathir, Marzuki Yahya, Dr Maszlee Malik, Amiruddin, Shahruddin Md Salleh and Mohamad Nuhairi Rahmat. 

All were previously with Bersatu but have since been expelled for breaching party rules, stemming from a protracted disagreement with party president Muhyiddin Yassin and his faction. – October 29, 2020.