Bersatu is set to hold its first annual general assembly before the year ends on Dec 30.

Party deputy president Muhkriz Mahathir announced that the AGM will be held at the Ideal Convention Centre (IDCC) in Shah Alam.

The AGM will be attended by the permanent chairperson, deputy permanent chairperson, supreme council members as well as 990 delegates from 137 Bersatu divisions.

"The date of the AGM was fixed by the party's supreme council in accordance with clause 12.1 of the party's constitution," said Muhkriz in a press conference at the party's headquarters in Petaling Jaya today.

The announcement came after Registrar of Societies (ROS) director-general Surayati Ibrahim warned that Bersatu may not be allowed to contest in the general election if it fails to hold its AGM first.

Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin previously said that Bersatu cannot be expected to hold its AGM within a year after it was formally registered. 

Mukhriz today explained that a meeting was held between Surayati (photo) and Bersatu representatives on Nov 21 for the latter to obtain advice on the ways to conduct the party's AGM.

The party had, during the meeting, told the ROS that the earliest date in which Bersatu divisions had received their registration certificates from the ROS was on July 24, 2017.

"This means that all Bersatu divisions throughout the country are not even a year old and according to the Bersatu constitution, they cannot hold their respective annual meetings."

However, rather than advising the party, the ROS had instead asked for Bersatu's suggestions on ways to conduct its AGM, claimed Mukhriz.

Mukhriz added that the ROS had agreed to set a meeting among Bersatu's legal team, ROS officials and the Home Ministry's legal advisers to discuss Bersatu's suggestions.

A letter containing the suggestions was sent to Surayati while Bersatu had followed-up with her office to set the date for the meeting.

"Sadly, we did not receive any formal feedback from the ROS on both the date of the meeting as well as our suggestions which were contained in the letter dated Nov 23.

"Instead, during a press conference in Johor on Nov 25, the ROS director-general stated that what we suggested was against the Societies Act and the party's constitution."

Surayati had also stated the ROS would need a week to study Bersatu's suggestions with legal advisers and that Bersatu might face deregistration if it doesn't hold its AGM.

"However, no meeting with the legal advisers was set and no feedback was received from the ROS."

The ROS, in a letter dated Dec 19, finally responded that the party must hold its AGM using methods that have been set by the party's constitution.

"Therefore, with this feedback, we believe that the ROS have no qualms about the AGM which will be held soon and it is in line with the requirements of the Societies Act and the party's constitution," said Mukhriz.

The party is expected to table its annual report and delegates will be able to listen to the president's speech as well as the chairperson's policy speech.

The speech in support of the party chairperson's policy speech will be delivered by the party's Youth chief while the speech in support of the suggestions will be delivered by the Srikandi chief.