KUALA LUMPUR, June 5 — The National Security Council (MKN) explained today that Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) can postpone its 2020 Annual National Congress until June 30.

Its director-general, Datuk Mohd Rabin Basir said this was based on the views the party received from the Registrar of Societies regarding the matter.

"In a letter sent to the PKR management, MKN had stated that based on the existing standard operating procedure (SOP) and also the views from the Health Ministry, the PKR national congress can be conducted based on the stipulated SOP.

"However, since PKR had received the views from the ROS that it can postpone its congress until June 30, 2021, the council considers that opinion to be more valid based on the current situation of the total lockdown 3.0,” he said when contacted by Bernama TV today.

He was commenting on the postponement of the PKR congress that was supposed to take place tomorrow.

PKR National Congress director Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad had earlier announced in a statement today that the party received a letter from the MKN at 6.21 pm on Friday as well as a verbal notification from the RoS asking that the party’s 15th national congress be postponed.

Without revealing the reasons why the congress was ordered postponed, Nik Nazmi said the latest orders contradicted the MKN letter dated May 27, in which it had no objection to PKR organising the congress via online.

"PKR recorded its strong objection but had to abide by this directive and the central leadership council has decided to postpone the party’s national congress to a date to be announced later.

"Details of the decision will be announced by PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in a special address via the party’s Facebook page at 11 am tomorrow,” he added.

The party’s national congress began yesterday with the women’s wing meeting, followed by the youth wing today. Both were held via online. — Bernama