KUALA LUMPUR: Perikatan Nasional will initiate disciplinary proceedings against Bersatu over actions it says are contrary to the coalition's interests, says its secretary-general Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan.
He announced the decision after an emergency Perikatan supreme council meeting, with the proceedings to be conducted in line with Clause 15 of the coalition's constitution.
“Perikatan's supreme council has the power to take disciplinary action against any component party that acts against its interests,” he told a press conference after the meeting, which ended close to midnight on Sunday (Oct 25).
He was joined by Malaysian Indian People's Party (MIPP) secretary-general N. Sathes Kumar, Parti Wawasan Negara (Wawasan) secretary-general Datuk Seri Saifuddin Abdullah, Gerakan secretary-general Wong Chia Zhen and Pejuang information chief Muhammad Rafique Rashid Ali.
Takiyuddin said the provision allowed the coalition to issue a warning, suspend or expel a component party, depending on the seriousness of the alleged offence.
“We will prepare the charges against Bersatu and give the party a reasonable period to respond before any further action is taken.
“We will institute disciplinary proceedings against them. The charges will be drafted and submitted to the component party, which will be given sufficient time to answer,” he said.
Takiyuddin said the proceedings were not limited to Bersatu, as the constitutional provision applied to any component party found to have acted against Perikatan's interests.
He cited contesting against Perikatan as an example of conduct that could be considered contrary to the coalition's interests.
Takiyuddin also referred to Bersatu's decision to contest eight seats in the Negri Sembilan state election against Perikatan, saying such actions could fall within the scope of the disciplinary provision.
He said Perikatan had previously adopted a similar approach when the MIPP faced internal problems, asking the party to resolve its issues before being invited back to meetings.
“MIPP did not complain to the Registrar of Societies. It resolved its problems and told us they had been settled, so we invited them back. There was no problem,” he said.
Takiyuddin said Perikatan had also explained to the Registrar of Societies (ROS) why Bersatu was not invited to a coalition meeting on July 16.
He said four Bersatu MPs had lodged a complaint with the ROS over an alleged lack of quorum at the party's supreme council meetings, raising concerns about the validity of decisions made by Bersatu.
“We asked Bersatu to clarify the matter and had decided not to involve it in decision-making until the coalition received a satisfactory explanation or clarification from the ROS,” he said
He said another factor was Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin's announcement that the party would contest the Negri Sembilan election under its own logo.
Takiyuddin said Perikatan subsequently issued a notice for another supreme council meeting on Sept 20, inviting Bersatu, but the meeting was postponed.
He added that Perikatan had invited Bersatu to Sunday's meeting after the High Court granted a stay on the ROS's actions against the coalition, but its representatives did not attend.
Takiyuddin said Muhyiddin had informed him by WhatsApp at about 6pm that he could not attend, while the other three Bersatu representatives had not informed him of their absence.
The meeting notice was issued on Friday, two days before the meeting, in line with the coalition constitution's provision allowing shorter notice for emergency meetings.
Perikatan's disciplinary decision comes amid a legal dispute over the ROS's actions against the coalition, which included a show-cause notice, suspension of its activities and cancellation of its registration.
On Thursday, the Kuala Lumpur High Court granted a stay on those actions pending the judicial review proceedings.
Takiyuddin said the stay meant Perikatan could resume its activities while the legal process continued.
The ROS director-general and Home Minister subsequently filed an appeal against the High Court's decision on Oct 23, with case management scheduled for Oct 30.
