Malaysia cancels Perikatan Nasional’s registration ahead of Melaka election
The Registrar of Societies says the opposition coalition’s response failed to refute the grounds for deregistration. PN says it will challenge the decision in court.
Malaysia’s Registrar of Societies cancelled the registration of the main opposition coalition Perikatan Nasional (PN) on 20 October, putting its ability to contest elections under a common banner in doubt before Melaka’s 14 November state vote. The regulator said PN’s response failed to refute the grounds for deregistration; the coalition says it will challenge the order in court.
Why the Registrar cancelled PN’s registration
The Registrar examined documents and explanations PN submitted on 12 October, according to The Straits Times’ account of the regulator’s statement. It found that PN’s response did not refute the grounds set out in an earlier notice or provide sufficient justification to maintain its registration. The regulator cited subparagraph 13(1)(c)(iv) of Malaysia’s Societies Act 1966 as the basis for its decision.
The notice, dated 22 September, had given PN an opportunity to make representations before a decision was taken. That sequence followed a complaint from Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia, known as Bersatu, which the Registrar confirmed receiving on 11 August, The Straits Times reported.
Bersatu alleged it had been excluded from a PN Supreme Council meeting on 16 July and raised a question about its membership status in the coalition, according to The Straits Times. Reuters reported that Bersatu described its exclusion as a breach of PN’s constitution by rival grouping PAS.
What the decision means for the Melaka vote
Reuters reported that cancellation of PN’s registration would prevent its component parties, including Bersatu and PAS, from contesting under the coalition’s common banner. The parties have previously campaigned separately in the Johor and Negeri Sembilan state polls despite contesting under the PN banner, the agency reported. It was not immediately clear how the parties would contest Melaka if the order remained in force.
PN secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan, who is also a PAS leader, said the coalition would file a legal challenge against the deregistration order, Reuters reported. He called the action an attempt to weaken political opponents ahead of the Melaka election.
The order comes amid a dispute between PN’s two key parties. Reuters reported tensions between Bersatu, led by former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin, and PAS over coalition leadership. Barisan Nasional and PAS have said they are discussing cooperation in the Melaka polls, according to local media reports cited by Reuters.
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Sources and context
- Malaysia’s Registrar of Societies cancels registration of Perikatan Nasional coalitionThe Straits Times, reporting Bernama
- Malaysia de-registers main opposition bloc Perikatan Nasional as elections loomReuters, carried by CNA
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.