The launch of merged political entity Parti Keadilan Rakyat last Sunday has not breached any law relating to the registration of societies, said transitional secretary-general Abdul Rahman Othman today.

The merged entity - known as Keadilan - comprises opposition parties Keadilan and PRM, which have submitted their applications to the Registrar of Societies (ROS) to amend their respective constitutions to enable the link-up.

Abdul Rahman was commenting on a statement by Registrar of Societies (ROS) Dahari Ibrahim in Berita Harian yesterday that Keadilan cannot come into existence because the applications have not yet been approved.

However, Abdul Rahman maintained that the party knows what it is doing and that the leaders have the right to present their policies and vision to the people.

"We did not breach any laws and we don't intend to do so. There are nine lawyers sitting in our transition supreme council and, we have been very careful," he said when contacted.

He also said the launch was not only to share the new party's vision with supporters, but also to introduce the logo which will be used by candidates in the coming general election.

"In the event the general election is held before we get approval from the ROS, we will still use the logo as we need only to register the symbol with the Election Commission," he said.

All options considered

Abdul Rahman ( left ) described the nine-month wait for the ROS approval as "absurd" and urged that the process be expedited since any further delay will only worsen the authority's reputation as a public service body.

"Ddouble standards in treatment are obvious, when we compare what has happened to us with the quick approval given to a new party aligned to the ruling Barisan Nasional," he said.

He was referring to the registration of the Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP), which was approved within three days of the application being submitted last November.

Abdul Rahman said Keadilan was also aware that its application was "no longer in the hands of the ROS" because officials had admitted that they needed approval by "a national intelligence agency".

Asked on Keadilan's next course of action in the event the applications are rejected, he said the transitional supreme council would continue to work as one.

"If they reject the applications, which would be a surprise to many, we will not take it lying down. We will review the overall situation before coming to a final decision," he said.

In the meantime, Keadilan officials will continue to meet ROS officials so that the matter can be settled amicably.

However, they are only willing to give ROS another couple of months and will take the necessary action if the approval is not granted by then, Abdul Rahman added.