THE Kuala Lumpur High Court has allowed an application by eight army veterans to challenge the delay by the home minister in deciding on their appeal in connection with their application to register Parti Kemakmuran Negara as a political party. 

Lawyer Lim Wei Jiet, who represented all the applicants, said judge Ahmad Kamal Md Shahid made the decision after a hearing on the judicial review application yesterday. 

“The court also directed the home minister to make a decision on the appeal (on party registration) within a 14-day period from yesterday,” he said when contacted by Bernama today.

On July 18 this year, Kamal allowed the eight individuals’ application to initiate the judicial review proceedings. 

Abdullah Mohamed, Yasin Hamzah, Ab Manan Mansor, Abdull Rahim Hashim, Kaha Othman, Sazali Ramli, Alias Abd Wahab and Jalil Ithnin filed the judicial review application on July 7, naming the home minister and Registrar of Societies (RoS) as respondents. 

They are seeking a mandamus for the minister to make a decision, in accordance with Section 18 of the Societies Act 1966, on their appeal against the RoS’ decision on March 16 this year in rejecting the party’s registration, within a seven-day period from the date of the order.

The eight, who are sponsors of the party, filed the review application on grounds, among others, that the delay by the respondents in deciding on their appeal is unreasonable and against their right to freedom of speech and association under Article 10 of the Federal Constitution.

They also claim that the delay by the respondents violated the right to vote as enshrined in Article 119 of the Federal Constitution. – Bernama, September 21, 2022.