KENINGAU, 5 June 2009: Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin urged all relevant parties to respect the Registrar of Societies (ROS)’s decision in declaring Datuk M Kayveas as the lawful president of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP).
“We will stick to the ROS decision. This is not a political issue but one that involves the law,” he told reporters after opening a Sabah state level Teachers Day celebration at Sekolah Menengah Ken Hwa today.
Yesterday, ROS director general Datuk Md Alias Kalil said that Kayveas was still the lawful PPP president. However, Md Alias added that ROS was in the process of investigating complaints by various quarters within the party and scrutinising further information from all sides involved.
ROS had also declared that it did not have any objection to PPP proceeding with its scheduled annual general meeting (AGM) on 7 June.
On 2 June, Muhyiddin had said that ROS would investigate and submit a report to him and the prime minister so as to clear doubts arising from the spat between Kayveas and Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk T Murugiah, since both had claimed themselves to be the PPP president.
Murugiah had declared himself the “new PPP president” following an extraordinary general meeting held on 24 May in Putrajaya while Kayveas was announced as PPP president on 30 May when nominations for the president’s post closed without any challengers.
Asked if PPP should continue with its AGM, Muhyiddin said: “It is PPP’s right to hold its AGM.”
“However, that does mean PPP’s problems are over,” he said.
The deputy prime minister added that with ROS’s announcement, there was a possibility that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak would attend the party’s AGM on 7 June. — Bernama.
