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The Registrar of Societies (ROS) clarified that the alleged memo supposedly to be circulated by the Prime Minister’s Office banning retired government servants from getting involved in any political party in the country cannot be confirmed.
“We have not received any instructions regarding the matter nor have we received any such memo. Hence we cannot confirm its authenticity. If there will be any new instruction concerning political movement in the country, we will inform the parties involved immediately,” said Awang Yakub a ROS officer.
Bewildered, he said that the current rules and regulations clearly stated that only government officers who are in service with the government are not allowed to be involved in any political party.
The General Secretary of the National Development Party (NDP), Awang Aminorashid Haji Ghazali and Malai Hassan Othman, the International Peace Relation, had met up with ROS representative at the Police Headquarters in Gadong to seek clarification on the matter.
The news about the alleged memo had spread like wild fire through the ranks of NDP and causing concern to JASA, the General Secretariat Department of NDP.
JASA is apparently not taking the matter lightly and stated that the “campaign” was clearly targeting NDP and was looking at it as a serious matter.
During the Brunei Muara Working Committee meeting, Malai Hassan Othman took the opportunity to shed light of the alleged memo, and debrief members of the meeting with ROS officers.
He also advised members not to panic and not to be stirred by such scare tactics.
Earlier in the week in the wake of the spread of the rumours, the Supreme Council of the National Development Party (NDP) had advised all its members to be calm regarding the rumours of a memo being circulated by the Prime Minister’s Office stating that retired government officials who are receiving pensions are not allowed to participate in any political party in this country.
The rumour which was spread through text messaging had spread like wild fire in the ranks of concerned NDP members.
The text message stated that a GO 4/57 memo will be circulated through the Government Ministries by the Prime Minister’s Office stating that the firm actions will be enforced on the 1st of June 2006 and that the activities of the party will be deemed illegal.
“We must not jump to conclusion, especially when the authenticity of the ‘information’ could not be determined and the source unknown. Until then we will look at it as only a rumour,” stated Aminorashid Hj Ghazali.
“I will call the Registrar of Societies to ask for clarification in the matter. In the meantime I advise all NDP members to stay calm and not to make assumptions until the matter is resolved,” he added.
A number of NDP Supreme Council Committee (SCC) Members are certain that it is a campaign to scare NDP members, especially when NDP members are made up of mostly retired government servants.
“It is difficult to believe! However if it is true then it contradicts with the nation’s aspiration in giving an opportunity for political reforms which was hoped by His Majesty the Sultan.”
“If the actions stated in the text message was true and implemented then it will negatively affect the nation’s image, not to mention our leader’s image especially this time, when the world is watching and observing the initiative to bring healthy political development in the country.”
“The sincerity of the government in the hope and efforts to encourage the citizens to actively participate in the development of the country through a political base will be in question. The government initiative to allow the existence of a political party in the country will be seen as only to meet the requirements to be on par with the rest of the International Community. This does not make sense, therefore we cannot take the rumours to be true,” stated an SCC member.
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