PPBM may be deregistered if it fails to hold AGM by the end of the year, says RoS
Party’s constitution does not allow it to delay AGM, warns RoS
PARTI Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) may be deregistered if it fails to hold its annual general meeting (AGM) by the end of the year, the Registry of Societies (RoS) warned yesterday.
RoS director-general Surayati Ibrahim said PPBM’s constitution stipulated that the party was not allowed to delay its AGM.
“They should recall how Umno was deregistered and banned in 1988 for violating its party constitution and the Societies Act,” she said here yesterday.
Surayati, who was responding to PPBM’s application to delay its
AGM, said the party might face “serious punishments”, including deregistration, if it continued to violate its constitution.
She refuted the legitimacy of an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) held by PPBM on Nov 2 last year.
She said this was because it was only attended by 12 of the party’s Supreme Council members, according to the minutes of the meeting.
She said PPBM’s decision to amend its constitution during the EGM was invalid.
“Chapter 28 of the party’s constitution states that certain conditions must be met before the constitution can be amended.”
She said under PPBM’s constitution, any amendments to the party constitution must be agreed upon by at least twothirds of the party’s delegates during an AGM or EGM.
Surayati said RoS had looked into other issues that affected PPBM’s status as a registered party. She said this included the setting up of PPBM’s Angkatan Bersatu Anak Muda (Armada) Youth wing despite it not being mentioned in the party’s constitution.
She said RoS investigated the legality of Armada after receiving complaints from former members, who were supposedly sacked by Armada chief Syed Saddiq Abdul Rahman.
“They (former members) felt cheated after checking PPBM’s constitution, where the term Armada does not exist. We have received similar complaints from 33 party members.”
Surayati said the setting up of Armada and Srikandi, PPBM’s women wing, was not mentioned in the party’s constitution and could lead to the deregistration of the party.
She said RoS wanted to clear the air on PPBM’s status to avoid giving the impression that the party was being treated unfairly.
She made it clear that the people should look at PPBM’s constitution before hurling accusations at RoS,
“RoS will not hesitate to take legal action against such people,” she warned.
Meanwhile, Surayati declined to comment on the status of Pakatan Harapan’s application to register itself as a political party.
On DAP’s recently concluded central executive committee reelection, she said RoS had yet to receive a report on the election results from the party.
On Thursday, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said PPBM’s failure to hold AGMs at the division, branch and central levels was due to its poor organisational structure.
Dr Mahathir, who is PPBM chairman, said the party’s branches and divisions failed to hold meetings despite allegedly having many members.
He said the branches were the most disorganised section of the party, which was founded in September last year.