The Registrar of Societies (ROS) can decide on whether former deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim can become the president of Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR).

In view of this, a ROS spokesperson said Anwar - who is currently the PKR advisor - should file an application to the office.

He said Under Section 9A (4) of the Societies Act, ROS is empowered to examine and consider the possibility of exempting or reducing the ban on Anwar from taking part in active politics.

However, the spokesperson said the ROS cannot do anything about the ban preventing him from contesting in the upcoming general elections.

"Until now we have not received any application from Anwar regarding the ban," he told malaysiakini .

In 1998, Anwar was sacked from all his government posts and subsequently convicted for corruption and sodomy. He was released in 2004 after spending six years in prison after the Federal Court quashed his sodomy conviction.

However, elections laws prohibit him from returning to active politics until after April 2008 in view of his first conviction.

The ban took effect from the day Anwar completed his first sentence on April 15, 2003.

'Fabricated charges'

On Feb 11, PKR Selangor revealed that it has unanimously agreed to nominate Anwar for the post of president at the party national congress scheduled in May.

The post is currently held by his wife Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

The former deputy premier has always maintained that the charges against him were fabricated by the then prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad. However, this has been denied.

Meanwhile, PKR secretary-general Kamarul Baharin Abbas said the party will file an appeal with the ROS so that Anwar can be made the party president.

However, he said the appeal will only be filed once Anwar is elected as president.

Anwar's lawyer Sankara Nair said the law states that anyone convicted of an offence and slapped with a jail term of more than two years or fined more than RM2,000 cannot hold any posts in a party for five years upon the person's release.

However, he said the ROS has the power to reduce or abolish the ban under Section 9A (4) of the Societies Act.