KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi wants the Court of Appeal to review the High Court's decision that dismissed his application to obtain his passport, which he said was for him to carry out his official duties as the Deputy Prime Minister.
In his notice of motion, filed on Feb 13, Ahmad Zahid said the High Court's dismissal would prejudice his rights and responsibility as he would have to officially apply to get access to his passport each time he has to leave the country for official work.
He is seeking for the Court of Appeal to reconsider his application for a permanent release of his passport and said he was ready to accept any conditions imposed by the court.
In his supporting affidavit, Ahmad Zahid said Justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah had erred when he rejected his application for a permanent release of his travel document.
"This application is in no way mala fide (bad intentions) or prejudicial to any parties as I have given my word to give full cooperation until the disposal of the case," he said.
Ahmad Zahid's passport is currently under the safekeeping of the court as part of his bail conditions in his graft trial involving the misappropriation of funds from charity foundation Yayasan Akalbudi.
On Jan 20, Ahmad Zahid made the application for a permanent release of his passport for him to carry out his duty as the Deputy Prime Minister.
He said he was faced with restrictions to carry out his duty as a minister as he did not have access to his travel document.
In his supporting affidavit to the application, he said he was given the mandate and responsibility from the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, to appear on behalf of the Prime Minister on several administrative functions.
On Feb 3, Justice Sequerah dismissed the application, citing that all persons were equal before the law.
During case management conducted online today, Court of Appeal deputy registrar Mohd Khairi Haron fixed March 27 for the hearing of the notice of motion.
Lawyer Aiman Abdul Rahman represented Ahmad Zahid while Deputy Public Prosecutor Abdul Malik Ayob appeared for the prosecution.
Ahmad Zahid is facing 47 charges – 12 for criminal breach of trust (CBT), eight for corruption and 27 for money laundering – involving tens of millions of ringgit belonging to YAB.
