High Court declines Pribumi's judicial review application of RoS' disband order

KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court has rejected Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia's leave application for judicial review to challenge the Registrar of Societies' (RoS) order to provisionally disband the political party.

High Court (Appellate and Special Powers) judge Justice Kamaludin Said dismissed the application after allowing preliminary objections raised by the RoS on grounds that the disbandment order under Section 14(2) of the Societies Act 1966 had "become academic".

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He said the applicant could still appeal under Section 18 of the Act or, in special circumstances (when there is no minister) file a judicial review application to challenge the decision under Section 14(5) of the Act.

"The applicant still has time to file the application," he said on Wednesday (April 11).

He made no order as to costs.

Pribumi secretary-general Shahruddin Md Salleh had named RoS director-general Surayati Ibrahim as the sole respondent in his application.

In the application, Shahruddin wanted an order to restrain the respondent from issuing the disbandment order against the party by misusing Section 14(5) of the Act as announced in media statements.

The applicant asked for an order to prevent Surayati from taking any action by abusing the provision in the Act to restrict Pribumi from being set up as a valid political party.

He is seeking a declaration that the party had on March 29 complied with the notice under Section 14(2) of the Act.