The Movement of Change Sarawak (MoCS), which has been stepping up its campaign to force Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud to step down, has been branded ‘an unlawful society’.

However, MoCS leader Francis Siah questioned the selective persecution, saying that a group that supports BN lacks similar official endorsement of its existence

NONE Idris Buang (right) , a staunch Taib supporter and Parti Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu supreme council member, said a check with the Sarawak office of the Registrar of Societies (ROS) has revealed that MoCS has not been registered with it.

“Therefore, MoCS can be regarded as an unlawful society (to) the Home Ministry,” he said.

Idris said he had expected MoCS to be a registered group since it had been making a lot of demands of Taib.

“MoCS must be a registered a society for a legal purpose before (carrying out) activities such as issuing or publishing public anti-government statements, political propaganda and so on, (as it has done) recently,” he said.

He has also found out that MoCS has never submitted an application to the ROS to become a registered society.

He said it is a requirement for any society to be registered with the ROS, either as a friendly or political society, before it can carry out its activities.

Anyone who contravenes the Societies Act is liable to be jailed for up to five years or fined up to RM15,000 upon conviction.

Idris accused azlan Siah and Awang Abdillah Awang Nasar of constantly issuing “seditious statements” and deemed their call for Taib to step down by Aug 13 as unwarranted “as they have no locus standi ”.

He said Siah and Awang Abdillah, the younger brother of Sarawak assembly speaker Awang Asfia, were making a mockery of the law and parliamentary democracy by demanding Taib’s resignation.

Idris also called on the ROS and police to act against Siah and Awang Abdillah for “contravening the Societies Act”.

‘Only a platform’

In an immediate response, Siah said MoCS has not submitted its application to become a registered society because it is just a platform for people to voice their concerns.

He also slammed Idris for being selective in singling out MOCS for action by the authorities.

MoCS leader Francis Siah “He should find out whether the Sarawak BN Backbenchers Club (BBC) has submitted its application to be a registered society or not,” Siah (holding document) said, noting that it has not, to the best of his knowledge.

“If he wants to report MoCS to the authorities, he should also do the same about the BBC.”

Siah said both the BBC and MoCS work in the same manner as these are merely platforms to enable support or concern to be expressed.

While the BBC has issued statements in support of Sarawak BN leaders and component parties, he said MoCS has issued statements to express the concerns of the people.

Siah challenged Idris to lodge a police report against a top BN leader “who is a member of a secret society, the Freemasons”.

“Does Idris know that the Freemasons are not a registered society? Is he daring enough to lodge the report against this particular leader?” Siah asked, without naming the person.

He said the authorities cannot act against MoCS because it has no office-bearers, but that the BBC does.