Gerakan has lodged a complaint to the Registrar of Societies (ROS) against Gerakan Harapan Baru (GHB) over the latter’s name.

In a statement today, Gerakan secretary-general Liang Teck Meng said GHB’s name is similar to Gerakan’s official name Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia, and therefore could confuse members of the public.

“According to Societies Act 1966 Section 7 (3)(d)(i) and (ii), if the name of a society appears to mislead or resembles the name of another society, then the ROS should directly decline the registration of the society.

“As such, I urge the ROS to look at the matter seriously and stop the PAS progressive faction from registering,” Liang ( photo ) said.

GHB is a PAS splinter group led by its former president Mohamad Sabu, which intends to form a new party with the intention of replacing PAS.

The movement has yet to announce the name of the new party.

Liang said Gerakan was registered in 1968 as Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia, and has always been known to the people simply as ‘Gerakan’.

The complaint lodged to the ROS is a reflection of its party members’ dissatisfaction towards GHB’s name, he said.

In addition, Liang said, since GHB is originally from PAS, Gerakan does not want to be associated with a party that is promoting the hudud agenda.