Harapan challenge against ROS set for March 1

The Kuala Lumpur High Court will hear on March 1 a suit brought by Pakatan Harapan against the Registrar of Societies to compel the latter to register it as a formal coalition.

Lawyer Michelle Ng said the five Harapan leaders who filed the suit obtained the date yesterday.

The five are Harapan chief secretary Saifuddin Abdullah, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution, Bersatu secretary-general Shaharuddin Md Salleh, and Amanah assistant secretary Abang Ahmad Kerdee Abang Masagus.

Harapan wants a declaration that the ROS' failure to respond to their application to be registered as a formal political coalition was a breach of its statutory duties as well as against their "legitimate expectation" for a response.

They want the court to issue an order of mandamus to compel the ROS to register them as a formal coalition under the Societies Act 1966.

Earlier this month, Harapan had revealed that they had submitted an official letter to the ROS addressed to its director-general Suriyati Ibrahim.

In the letter, they cited a Nov 20 meeting with Suriyati, during which Harapan was told that its application could not be processed because the ROS was still awaiting a report from the Bersatu annual general meeting and the party's annual returns, as well as DAP's central executive committee (CEC) re-election report.

The ROS had at the time recognised DAP's re-election thus Harapan said it was time the registrar also recognised Bersatu as a registered body.- Mkini