The yet-to-be-registered Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) has accused the Registrar of Societies (ROS) of practising "double standard" when it approved the registration of the Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) within three days while PSM has to wait four years only to have its application rejected.

PSM pro tem secretary-general S Arutchelvan (photo, left) said the 'snap' registration of SPDP also exposes how the Barisan Nasional government manipulates the ROS to suit its own agenda.

While ROS showed much efficiency in approving SPDP, similar "special treatment" was denied to other parties which applied months or years ago, he said in a statement.

Relating PSM's experience with ROS, Arutchelvan said the party has to send letters after letters of reminders until it reached a stage when ROS could not handle the situation, they finally decided to reject PSM's application.

PSM has filed a case on the matter which will be heard on Wednesday (Nov 13) at the Kuala Lumpur High Court.

Arutchelvan said that as the ROS was practising double standard, it has lost all its credibility in the registration of political parties.

Examples in Sabah too

Besides last Friday's approval of SPDP, the ROS' double standard was also evident in the 1994's 'instant' registration of Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP), Parti Democratic Sabah (PDS) and Parti Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS) a move to topple the then PBS state government.

Last month, PSM launched a campaign calling for the party to be registered and also to demand that the registration of political parties be left to the Election Commission and not ROS.

Freedom of association is a constitutional right and the denial of PSM to be registered after more than four years is a mockery of democracy and fair play, Arutchelvan added.

SPDP was formed by a splinter group of the Sarawak National Party (Snap) which was de-registered by the ROS last Tuesday following months of internal squabbles. The new party is helmed by Sarawak Minister of Public Health and Environment William Mawan.

According to a ROS report in 2001, only two out of 23 political parties which have applied for registration were approved since 1994.

The two parties were the State Reform Party Sarawak (Star) and the Malaysian Democratic Party (MDP).