Muda to get its day in court over political party registration

KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court here has granted leave to the Malaysian United Democratic Alliance (Muda) to initiate a judicial review in its challenge against the Home Minister and the Registrar of Societies over its registration as a political party.

Lawyer Lim Wei Jiet, who represented Muda in the legal action, said that High Court judge Justice Noorin Badaruddin had granted leave as the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) did not have any objections to the application.

“The next case management is fixed on June 8 before deputy registrar Firdaus Sidqi Sharil Azli, ” he said when contacted.

Lim said it has been 110 days since Muda’s appeal to the Home Minister on Feb 4 regarding the party’s status.

“There is still no decision by the minister, ” he added.

Senior Federal Counsel Ahmad Hanir Hambaly, when contacted, confirmed that the leave was granted to the applicant.

“The AGC did not object to the leave application, ” he said.

On April 26, former youth and sports minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman and 12 individuals filed the judicial review application to challenge the action of the Home Minister and the Registrar of Societies (ROS) that have yet to decide on their appeal to register Muda as a political party.

The applicants were represented by Lim and the AGC was represented by Federal Counsel Kogilambigai Muthusamy during the online proceeding yesterday.

Syed Saddiq, who is the founder of the party, and 12 others filed the application at the High Court here through law firm Sreenevasan, naming the Home Minister and the ROS as the first and second respondents.

In their application, they are seeking a mandamus order for the first respondent (Home Minister) to reach a decision under Section 18 of the Societies Act on the applicants’ appeal against the ROS decision in refusing to register Muda as a political party on Jan 6, seven days after a court ruling.

The applicants are also seeking damages, including aggravated and exemplary damages, and other relief deemed appropriate.

On Feb 4, Muda submitted an appeal on its registration as a political party to the ROS and Home Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin.

The application form to register Muda as a political party was submitted to the ROS in September last year but was rejected later in January.