Muhyiddin seeks court order to quash travel ban

KUALA LUMPUR: Former prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has filed a judicial review application to challenge the restrictions imposed by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) against him and Bersatu, including the freeze on the political party's bank accounts.

The Bersatu president is also seeking a court order to quash a travel ban imposed on him, which he claimed to be "wrongful" and "without basis".

ALSO READ: Bersatu protests action against Muhyiddin, insists he is innocent

The application was filed through Messrs Chetan Jethwani & Company on Wednesday (March 8).

Apart from Muhyiddin, another applicant is Datuk (R) Capt Muhammad Suhaimi Yahya, who is the first applicant in his capacity as a public officer of Bersatu.

The applicants named MACC chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki, MACC investigation division senior director Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Hashim, MACC anti-money laundering division director Datuk Mohamad Zamri Zainul Abidin, Immigration director-general Datuk Seri Khairul Dzaimee Daud, 13 MACC officers, along with the MACC, the Immigration Department and the Government as respondents.

ALSO READ: Several Perikatan MPs skip Parliament to show solidarity for Muhyiddin

The 13 officers - Mohd Asyraf Aiman Mokhtar, Farah Syazmeen Mokhtar, Mohd Hamzah Ramli, Mohd Ihsan Sapuan, Mohd Syahmeizy Solong, Norhaizam Muhammad, Mohd Syawaludin Said, Norsharil Saharom, L. Baskar, Ahmad Amzar Azizan, Mazree Mohd Zaini, Yuhafiz Mohd Salleh, and Muhammad Afnan Abdullah - are MACC officers involved in the investigation into Bersatu and the execution of the freeze order.

Muhyiddin and Muhammad Suhaimi are seeking leave from the High Court to initiate judicial review against the order to freeze several bank accounts belonging to Bersatu as well as Muhyiddin's travel ban.

Subsequently, the applicants are seeking to unfreeze the said accounts so that a sum of RM4,354,635.80 could be used for the expenses, operations and management of Bersatu.

The applicants claim that the freezing order was wrongful, null and void as a result of the unconstitutionality, illegality, procedural impropriety, irrationality, mala fide, abuse of process and abuse of power by MACC and its officers.

On Muhyiddin's travel ban, the applicants sought for a declaration that the ban, without any reasonable basis, is illegal and a violation of Articles 5, 8, 9 and 10 of the Federal Constitution.

In his supporting affidavit, Muhyiddin said that Khairul Dzaimee had imposed the travel ban on him without handing over any official notice and without reason.

"On March 5, I made a check through the Immigration Department's website and found that the department had imposed a travel ban on me," he said.

"This is a move to oppress my fundamental right of freedom because I have been invited to deliver a keynote address at an international conference, the 1st Annual Conference of the Global Council for Political Renewal (GCPR), in London on April 14 and 15," Muhyiddin added.

Muhyiddin said he believed that the travel ban was imposed on him because Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was concerned with his appearance at the international forum to speak about the political developments in Malaysia.

The application sought a court declaration that the respondents have violated the constitutional rights of Bersatu and Muhyiddin.