High Court dismisses Zunar's challenge to travel ban

KUALA LUMPUR: A High Court here has dismissed a judicial review and an application to challenge the constitutional issues to the Federal Court filed by cartoonist Zunar over his travel ban.

The decision means that Zunar's travel ban stays.

High Court (Appellate and Special Powers) judge Datin Azizah Nawawi made the rulings on grounds that the constitutional issue posed did not arise from the substantive application (judicial review) and the application (on the constitutional issue) was without merit.

Justice Azizah said on the substantive application, the court was bound by the decision in several cases, the latest was the Court of Appeal's decision in PJ Utara MP Tony Pua's case.

She dismissed the application with a cost of RM5,000.

In his court papers filed on Dec 7 last year, Zunar whose real name is Zulkiflee SM Anwarul Haque, named the Immigration Department director-general, the Home Minister and the Government as respondents in his judicial review application.

Zunar applied to the court to strike out the travel ban issued against him verbally on Oct 17 last year when he was heading to a forum at the National University of Singapore.

Zunar sought a declaration that the travel ban was a violation of Article 5(1), Article 8 and Article 9 of the Federal Constitution and that the order should be struck out because it is invalid and unconstitutional.

He also asked for a legal declaration that Section 59 and Section 59A of the Immigration Act are unconstitutional.

Counsel Latheefa Koya who acted for Zunar, said they would file an appeal.