Remove minister’s discretionary powers

Bersih chairperson Thomas Fann echoed Muhammad’s statement and requested changes to be made to the Societies Act in order to eliminate any discretionary authority given to the minister.

“ROS has long been seen as a political tool of the government and the home minister’s statement confirms this fact.

“We call for amendments to the Societies Act to remove any discretionary powers that are vested with the minister.

“As such, we need the ROS to act independently and professionally when it comes to the registration and monitoring of the conduct of political parties,” Fann said in a statement.

(First published by Malaysiakini on 7 March 2023: https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/657671)