PN accuses Bersatu of seeking to cripple coalition ahead of Malacca polls

Perikatan Nasional secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan has accused Bersatu of seeking to cripple the coalition ahead of the Malacca state election by lodging a complaint with the Registrar of Societies (ROS).

Takiyuddin made the allegation in an affidavit filed in support of PN's judicial review application, which seeks to quash two ROS notices warning PN of possible deregistration and directing it to cease activities using the coalition's name.

According to Takiyuddin, he believed Bersatu had a malicious motive when it complained to the ROS after being excluded from a PN Supreme Council meeting on July 16.

"I genuinely believe that Bersatu did not make the complaint to defend any rights it possessed as a component party of PN.

"I genuinely believe that Bersatu made the complaint with the intention of disabling PN - a coalition that, at the time, it was contesting against in the election," the Kota Bharu MP said in the court document, referring to the upcoming Malacca state election, the date of which has yet to be determined.

It was reported that PN received the notices from ROS on Sept 22 and 23, which stemmed from Bersatu's complaint that it was not invited to the coalition's supreme council meeting despite still being a member.

ROS gave PN 30 days to show cause to the governing body.

In response, Takiyuddin on Sept 24 slammed ROS, saying the deregistration notice was issued in bad faith (mala fide) to apply political pressure.

PN then filed a judicial review at the Kuala Lumpur High Court to seek clarity on its status and quash the ROS actions.

Bersatu's actions cited

In his affidavit, Takiyuddin cited several events to support his allegation regarding Bersatu's motives.

According to the PAS secretary-general, PN had raised concerns over the legitimacy of Bersatu's own supreme council and had written to the party seeking clarification.

However, Bersatu never responded to the letter, Takiyuddin claimed, prompting the PN leadership to exclude the party from its July 16 meeting.

He also pointed out that, a day before the meeting, Bersatu announced its intention to contest the Negeri Sembilan state election under its own logo. The party subsequently contested 24 seats, including eight against PN candidates.

Takiyuddin said Bersatu only raised the issue of its exclusion from the July 16 meeting on Aug 9 - two days after announcing that it was seeking to form a new political coalition - before subsequently lodging its complaint with ROS.

"Bersatu has publicly stated that it would contest the 16th Malacca state election under its own symbol if PN remained suspended. Bersatu was a competitor to PN in that election. Bersatu would benefit from PN's removal.

"A component party that genuinely intended to protect PN would have responded to PN's letter; would have relied on the PN Constitution; and would have submitted to PN any complaint it had made concerning PN's own affairs. Bersatu did none of these things.

"I genuinely believe that its purpose was to invoke the powers of the ROS against PN," Takiyuddin said.

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