The Home Ministry has cited problems faced by Bersatu and DAP as the cause for the delay in registering the Pakatan Harapan coalition. 

Harapan chairperson Dr Mahathir Mohamad said this was related to him following a meeting with top coalition leaders, including the leaders of all four of the coalition's component parties and Home Ministry secretary-general Alwi Ibrahim, this morning. 

“They said the delay in giving a response (on the coalition's registration) is because there are problems with Bersatu and DAP.

"If we had been informed earlier, we would have resolved them," Mahathir told reporters after emerging from the Home Ministry’s headquarters in Putrajaya after the meeting.

“It is not our intention to object or cause problems for the government. Whatever the government wants that is in accordance with the law, we will abide by it,” he said. 

Mahathir said the Registrar of Societies (ROS) should have informed that this is the cause of the delay, instead of keeping quiet on the matter.

ROS had previously taken issue with Bersatu for supposedly failing to hold an annual general meeting since the party was founded over a year ago, which is against the party’s constitution.

It also said the party’s Youth wing should not use the name “Armada” as it is not a part of the party’s constitution.

As for DAP, the ROS had refused to recognise the party’s 2012 leadership election and 2013 re-election, which culminated in DAP grudgingly holding a second re-election on Nov 12.

DAP chairperson Tan Kok Wai (photo) said the Societies Act 1966 allows parties 60 days to submit their annual general meeting reports.

However, in light of today’s revelations, Tan said DAP would ask the auditing firm Grant Thornton to complete the report this weekend to help expedite Harapan’s registration.

Meanwhile, Mahathir expressed disappointment that the Harapan delegation was unable to meet Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi as planned, but was instead told that Zahid was meeting the prime minister.

To a question, Mahathir said he was no longer interested in meeting Zahid, and instead wants to focus on expediting Harapan’s registration.