PUTRAJAYA, March 1 ― Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi today defended the Registrar of Societies (RoS) after Pakatan Harapan (PH) sued it over the delay in registering the Opposition pact.

The deputy prime minister and home minister, whose purview covers RoS, said RoS was merely executing its responsibility as an overseer of registered establishments.

"I do not wish to interfere in the matter because it is an operational issue.

"However I believe RoS is doing its job professionally and fairly,” he said after receiving a courtesy call from Saudi Arabia’s ambassador at the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office complex today.

The visit by His Excellency Mahmoud Hussien Saeed Qattan was in conjunction with an upcoming official visit by Saudi’s Home Minister Prince Abdulaziz Saud Nayef who will be visiting for the first time on March 13 since his appointment in June 2017.

Asked to explain the delayed process, Zahid said RoS has reiterated that it was not merely responding to the coalition’s request on its application, but also several complaints lodged by Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) members.

He said as PPBM was one of the component parties in the coalition, RoS was looking into the matter as well.

Earlier today, the High Court granted permission to PH to challenge RoS in a bid to get registered.

The court set March 15 for case management date, when representatives of RoS are expected to be present.

In November, several division leaders of PPBM Johor lodged a report over the failure of the party to hold annual general meetings at the branch, division and central levels.

Kluang PPBM division information chief Arjuna Putra Ali had said the documents submitted RoS included 358 written complaints received from seven divisions, namely Bakri, Kluang, Sembrong, Ayer Hitam, Simpang Renggam, Ledang and Batu Pahat.

On February 22, the Opposition pact filed a civil suit to compel the courts to instruct RoS to respond to the coalition’s registration application.

The legal application was undersigned by PPBM secretary-general Shahruddin Md Salleh, Pakatan Harapan chief secretary Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, and Parti Amanah Negara deputy secretary-general Abang Ahmad Kerdee Abang Masagus.