PARTI Aspirasi Sains Malaysia (SAINS), the country’s first science-based political party, is still waiting to be approved for registration by the Registrar of Societies (ROS).

Speaking at SAINS’ first congress last night, pro tem party secretary-general Afiq Harraz said the party’s application status shows as “pending for approval” after more than three months.

The application for registration was made on June 9.

“ROS is processing the application for registration, which is a good sign and as a follow up, we will send a letter to them and copy it to the department’s director-general and Home Minister Hamzah Zainudin to seek a status update,” he said at the SAINS Symposium. 

Birthed on Twitter as a satirical counterpoint to Islamist party PAS, SAINS has established itself as the first science-based party in Malaysia and apparently only the third in the world.

The party’s headquarters is in Sarawak, which makes it the first national political party to have emerged from the state.

Just three months after it was set up, the party has more than 690 prospective members and four branches, one each in Sarawak, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, and Utara for the northern states of Perak, Penang, Kedah, Perlis, Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang.

Afiq said that while awaiting approval from the ROS, the central executive body (CEB) and the respective branch chairs are discussing membership drive, communications, public engagement and marketing strategies.

He said focus needed to be on engagement with the grassroots in anticipation of their active involvement in future elections.

“Once we are out of this Covid-19 pandemic, we will go (out in the field) and introduce SAINS to the community in order to add and expand the party as a measure to strengthen the party’s foundation so that we can ensure the continuity of the efforts of the current CEB and branch executives.

“When we have enough members in the party, we will break down the branches we have according to parliamentary constituencies so that it is easy to prepare for the elections, regardless if it’s Sarawak elections or the 15th or 16th general election, whichever we face upon approval,” he said.

Meanwhile, pro tem party president and co-founder Kenneth Chai said he was confident the party would be registered soon.

“I was expecting ROS to reject our application like it did Pejuang and Muda’s. In that case, we can at least appeal but now our status is pending.

“But we will send an official letter to ask for our standing,” he said.

On the party composition, Chai said 47% of the members are women (half of the elected state chairs are women) and 60% of members are below the age of 35.

He said unlike other political parties in Malaysia, SAINS would not set up separate wings for women and youth but have an organisation structure that spreads horizontally instead of from the top down.

“As I have said many times before, and I will say this many times again, this is a party made possible by everyone, for everyone. It will be a platform for everyone to voice their ideas, their hopes and their dreams of a Malaysia free from the shackles that have held her back for decades. Some call it racism; some call it bigotry. I call it enough.

“It is time for us to come together and tell every Malaysian we know from now on, that political parties founded to champion only the rights of certain demographics of Malaysia are not only outdated, but unethical.

“A coalition of many parties representing each race fighting for their respective rights should not exist, because in the perspective of science, they cancel each other out.”

On which political pact the party would align with, policy spokesman Bong Chan Siong said: “We stand on issues. We do not stand with parties. Some (issues) we agree with the opposition while some we do not.

“So we will decide when the opportunity arises.”

Bong added that SAINS was not funded by any corporations and would cap each political donation at RM690 per election campaign which would run on technological platforms. – September 7, 2021.