The days leading up to the GE14 has definitely been eventful with many significant events taking place like the passing of the Anti-Fake News Bill, the Cambridge Analytica scandal and more recently, the ban of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM).
According to The Edge Markets, PPBM, which is founded and led by Tun Dr Mahathir, has been banned for 30 days. One full month!
Source: Facebook
Registry director-general, Surayati Ibrahim said on Thursday (5 April 2018), that the Registry of Societies Malaysia (RoS) had banned PPBM because they had failed to produce the required information and documents within the given deadline (29 March 2018).
According to Suriyati, the party can either submit an appeal or the needed documents in 30 days. She further explained that if they fail to produce what’s needed again, they could be deregistered. Meaning: No more PPBM!
Nevertheless, she didn’t specify the kind of information that the registry had requested.
Source: FMT
Meanwhile, PPBM’s president, Tan Sri Dato’ Muhyiddin Yassin, said in a video posted to their Facebook page that they had actually submitted all the required documents by the given deadline and were even told that the paperwork was completed. Hmm…
“I ask everyone to stay calm while the leaders study this issue for our next action.”
“I would like to assure everyone that this situation won’t in the slightest weaken our determination to uphold the truth,” he said.
On the other hand, PPBM Supreme Council member, Wan Saiful Wan Jan said that RoS’ deregistration order is “an abuse of power by a regime that is desperate to stay in office”.
Source: Utusan Online
“UMNO is clearly scared and they are doing everything they can to stop the rise of PPBM.”
“We will continue to fight this abusive regime. This action provides an even stronger evidence that they must be removed if we want to bring back integrity into our institutions,” said Wan.
Source: Facebook
Nevertheless, it’s still unclear if PPBM had done an appeal for their party’s registration but Pakatan Harapan’s Secretary-General, Saifuddin Abdullah, said that the party will still be treated as an active party and will stick to the agreements made between them.
Source: The Star
This means that PPBM candidates will still compete for the GE14 but just under a different party’s logo.
On the other hand, while some might expect that this will affect the party’s campaigns, an analyst from BowerGroupAsia risk consultancy, Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani, reassured that the ban will not affect them too much.
Source: Asrul Hadi
“I don’t think it will dent Mahathir’s campaign trail as his brand is bigger than PPBM itself.”
“It will however affect PPBM’s candidates who will be relying on Mahathir’s name and his association with PPBM – the provisional dissolution would only rally the converted and will unlikely sway the fence-sitters,” he explained.
Well, it looks like PPBM’s candidates will still contest, so things wouldn’t change that much. Let’s hope they resolve the matter quick!
Tell us what you think of PPBM party’s ban in the comments!
Also read: Pakatan Proposes Dr Mahathir as PM Candidate if Opposition Wins GE14
