RoS’ request for PPBM minutes not political — Shabery

JELEBU: The request by the Registrar of Societies (RoS) asking Parti Peribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) to submit the minutes of the party meetings should not be seen as a political act.

Umno Supreme Council member Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek said the RoS request was issued due to protests and complaints lodged by PPBM members themselves to RoS.

“Most of the organisations related acts were made in the days of (former prime minister) Tun Dr Mahathir (Mohamad) himself and even Umno has been banned because of the RoS decision during his time.

“He (Dr Mahathir) did not want to interfere with the decision made by RoS, thus Umno had once been banned on Feb 4, 1988. That’s why we say RoS is an independent body and has its own authority,” he told reporters here yesterday.

Ahmad Shabery, who is also Agriculture and Agrobased Industry Minister, said this when asked to comment on the letter issued by RoS to PPBM asking the party to submit minutes of branch meetings, divisional and central party meetings as well as party financial statements, last Friday.

The RoS has given one month for the party to submit all the documents

Earlier, Ahmad Shabery visited a pineapple planting project in Jelebu.

In JOHOR BAHRU, Deputy Home Minister Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed said the RoS was not biased but has given a lot of time to PPBM to complete and submit all forms and requirements pertaining to party meetings and financial statements.

“According to the RoS constitution, PPBM should only be given a week to complete and submit important details about PPBM but RoS has been generous to give 30 days.

“Now they claim RoS is pressuring PPBM? Does it make sense? Why did they not submit early from the beginning? Now, when they themselves do wrong then they dispute the constitution,” he told reporters after officiating the Pulai Parliamentary constituency’s People’s Sales (Jualan Sentuhan Rakyat) programme here yesterday.