The Registry of Societies of Malaysia is a Department under the Ministry of Home Affairs which operates Non-Governmental Organizations and political parties. Under Section 2, the Societies Act 1966, an establishment is defined as any club, partnership or association containing seven (7) or more persons, regardless of the nature or purpose, whether temporarily or permanently but excluding any body, bodies that need to be registered under any written law such as companies, cooperatives, trade unions, parent and teacher associations, sports bodies and others.