AGC not contesting judicial review leave application in LTTE case

KUALA LUMPUR: The Attorney General's Chambers (AGC) will not contest a leave application for a judicial review filed by taxi driver V. Balamurugan, who is seeking to strike out a 2014 Government gazette listing the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) as a terror group.

Senior Federal Counsel Ahmad Hanir Hambaly said that Attorney General Tan Sri Tommy Thomas had decided not to object to the leave application.

"We will proceed with our substantive application," he told the press here after a case management before High Court judge Justice Mariana Yahya here on Thursday (Feb 6).

The case is fixed for further case management on Feb 24.

Lawyer Omar Kutty represented the applicant.

On Jan 8,38-year-old Balamurugan filed an application for judicial review and named the Home Minister and the Government as the first and second respondents respectively.

The application was filed through the law firm Messrs Kuah, Lim, Chin & Ooi at the High Court registry.

In his application, Balamurugan is seeking for leave for a certiorari order to quash the listing of LTTE in the gazette, Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities (Declaration of Specified Entities and Reporting Requirements (Amendment) 2014; dated Nov 12,2014.

He is seeking a declaration that the LTTE detail in the gazette as null and void and that its listing was unlawful as it was ultra vires to the Federal Constitution.

He also sought for no order as to costs and other reliefs deemed fit by the court.

Balamurugan is currently facing multiple charges involving giving support to the LTTE and possessing items related to terrorism.