Court dismisses Dr M's bid to remain Bersatu member pending suit against party (Updated)

KUALA LUMPUR: Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has failed in his bid to remain a member of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) after the High Court here rejected his application for an interim injunction in a suit challenging the nullification of his membership.

Dr Mahathir, 94, had sought for the ad interim injunction order for the status quo of the parties involved be preserved until a hearing on July 9.

Lawyer Rosli Dahlan, who is representing prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and other defendants, said Justice Rohani Ismail dismissed the injunction application after ruling that the application was not justified.

“The court after looking at all the authorities on a summary fashion decided that the balance of convenience and the balance of principles of law does not justify that (ad interim injunction), ” he told reporters after proceedings in chambers here on Thursday (June 18).

On June 9, six Bersatu party leaders, led by Dr Mahathir, filed a suit against Bersatu president Muhyiddin, newly appointed secretary-general Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin, executive secretary Muhammad Suhaimi Yahya and Registrar of Societies (RoS) director-general Masyati Abang Ibrahim, challenging a decision to nullify their membership.

The other plaintiffs are deputy president Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir, Armada chief Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, secretary-general Datuk Marzuki Yahya, and supreme council members Dr Maszlee Malik and Datuk Amiruddin Hamzah.

The plaintiffs were also seeking to nullify the membership of Muhyiddin, Hamzah and Suhaimi on grounds that they had joined the rival Perikatan Nasional coalition.

On June 11, Dr Mahathir and the five filed the ad interim injunction to maintain their status quo in the party pending the court's decision on the main suit.