PETALING JAYA: Parti Pejuang Tanah Air (Pejuang) is officially registered as a political party after receiving approval from the Registrar of Societies (ROS) on Thursday (July 8), says its chairman Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

       He thanked the government for approving the party's application and formally registering it.

       "We believe that we are here not to cause any trouble.

       "But we are doing it based on the law. There is no reason for us not to be registered," he said during a virtual press conference on Thursday.

       “At last, Pejuang has been registered. Those who want to join us, they can register with us,” he said, adding that the party would be more active now," said the former prime minister.

       On June 25, the High Court ordered Home Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin to make a decision on an appeal by Pejuang regarding its registration within 14 days from June 25.

       Justice Datuk Ahmad Kamal Md Shahid allowed Pejuang's application for a judicial review against the action of the Home Minister and ROS for having yet to decide on its appeal to register the party.

       In his judgment, Justice Ahmad Kamal said the first respondent (Home Minister) could not be taking too long to decide on the appeal, as the issue involved was not too complicated and he was of the view that the time taken by the Home Minister in deciding the appeal, approximately five and a half months from Jan 8, 2021, was beyond the convenient speed.