Pakatan Harapan may take the Registrar of Societies (ROS) to court over its failure to respond to its application to register itself as a coalition.

Pointing out that the application had been made on July 28, Harapan’s legal bureau chief Gobind Singh Deo said the coalition has yet to hear from the ROS on the matter.

Harapan, he claimed, also did not receive a response to a letter it wrote to the ROS on Aug 21 asking for a meeting to discuss the application.

“On Oct 25, we sent ROS a notice asking for a response to the application within 14 days of receipt of that letter failing which we would proceed further in the matter,” said Gobind in a statement today.

Newly-promoted ROS director-general Surayati Ibrahim, he added, should respond to Harapan’s letters and give the coalition an update as to the status of the application.

“The ROS should respond to our notice. If not, we may need to consider court proceedings to compel a response instead.”

The Home Ministry in a parliamentary reply had said that Harapan’s application to register as an official coalition was still being considered by the ROS.

It was responding to Bayan Baru MP Sim Tze Tzin (photo), who had asked the home minister to state why Harapan's registration and party logo have yet to be approved and why additional requirements and criteria were required by the ROS to have the registration approved.

The Home Ministry said the ROS is responsible for reviewing in detail every registration made by political parties. This is to ensure that public safety, as well as public interest, are safeguarded.

“The ROS does not impose additional criteria or requirements on the application and the application is still being considered by the ROS.”

In a press conference in Parliament later, several Harapan lawmakers said there was no reason for the ROS to delay the registration as the coalition had fulfilled all the necessary requirements.

Sim also questioned whether the ROS perceived Harapan as a coalition which can undermine the country’s security.

“How do we undermine the country’s security when we follow existing laws?”

Amanah lawmaker Raja Kamarul Bahrin Shah said the delay has made it seem that the ROS was being biased towards Harapan.

Harapan chairperson Dr Mahathir Mohamad (photo), last week, had lamented that the ROS has continued to ignore the coalition's application to register its four parties as an official coalition.

After nearly four months since Harapan's application was submitted, Mahathir claimed it was "extraordinary" that the ROS had refused to respond to Harapan's application.

This is despite the coalition having already complied with the ROS' suggestion to amend its logo to include the word "Pakatan".

Harapan is attempting to register as a formal coalition in order to contest the general election under a single logo.

Former law minister Zaid Ibrahim had predicted that Harapan would find it difficult to get itself registered as a political coalition.