Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and three others succeeded in their bid to strike out the suit brought by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and five others over the nullification of their membership in Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu).
In allowing Muhyiddin and three other defendants’ application, High Court Judge Datin Rohani Ismail ruled that Dr Mahathir and the other plaintiffs had no locus standi to bring the legal action against the defendants.
She also held that the court had guided by the provision of law and cases referred under Section 18C of the Societies Act 1966 to which the court found that Section 18C was applicable in the present case.
“As such the court has no jurisdiction to entertain or determine the claim of the plaintiffs,” she said.
Section 18C states that any decision of political parties are final and cannot be challenged in courts.
Justice Rohani ordered the plaintiffs to pay a total of RM30,000 costs to all the defendants.
Justice Rohani also dismissed the plaintiffs’ application to obtain injunctive relief to preserve their status quo as members in Bersatu until the hearing of the suit as the court had struck out the whole action.
On June 9, Dr Mahathir, his son Datuk Seri Mukhriz, Dr Maszlee Malik, Datuk Amiruddin Hamzah, Datuk Marzuki Yahya and the party itself filed the suit over the nullification of their membership in Bersatu, as the first to sixth plaintiffs.
They named Muhyiddin, who is Bersatu president and acting chairman; party secretary-general Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin; party executive secretary Capt (Rtd) Muhammad Suhaimi Yahya; and Registrar of Societies (RoS) director-general Masyati Abang Ibrahim as the first to fourth defendants.
In elaborating on locus standi point, the judge said on June 4, 2020, Bersatu Supreme Council had confirmed the party’s decision that the first plaintiff, Dr Mahathir, had resigned from the chairman’s post on Feb 24 and, as such by virtue of Clause 16.9 of the Bersatu’s Constitution, Muhyiddin who was the first defendant was acting as the Chairman of Bersatu.
She said it was trite that every registered society was governed by its constitution and the provisions of the Societies Act 1966, and it was also trite that the constitution of a registered society operates as a contract between its members.
“Clause 10.2 of Bersatu’s constitution provides for the automatic loss of membership by certain pre-defined events when it states that “the membership of a person is automatically ceased if one of the followings occur” that include Clause 10.2.6 which states that “the member brings matters pertaining to the party or his membership to court”,” she said.
The judge also said prior to the Dewan Rakyat sitting on May 18, 2020, Dr Mahathir and Mukhriz had written to the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Parliament and Law), stating that their seats will be on the opposite side of the House with the MPs of Pakatan Harapan opposing the present Government of which Bersatu is part of it.
She said at the sitting of Dewan Rakyat on May 18, the first to fifth defendants had crossed over and sat at the opposite side with the MP’s of Pakatan Harapan.
The judge said the court was of the opinion that the action by all five plaintiffs fell within Articles 10.2.2 and 10.2.3 of Bersatu’s constitution.
“As such, they have ceased to be the members of Bersatu as conclude and confirmed during the party’s Supreme Council’s meeting on June 4, 2020.
“Therefore, the court is of the view that the filing of this action by the plaintiffs and the event taken on May 18 by the first to the fifth plaintiffs, they have violated Clause 10.2 of Bersatu’s constitution.
“Thus, the plaintiffs have no locus standi to bring or maintain this action against the defendants,” she said.
On the issue of naming the party as the seventh plaintiff in the suit, the judge said by virtue of Section 9(c) of the Societies Act, the act of naming Bersatu as the plaintiff was unlawful.
This was because an association has no standing and was incompetent to sue as a plaintiff as an association could not sue under its name, she said.
On June 17, Muhyiddin, Hamzah, Muhammad Suhaimi and the Registrar of Societies as defendants had filed an application to strike out the suit on grounds that it was a bad action, abuse of the court process, and that Dr Mahathir and the other plaintiffs had no locus standi to file the legal action.
-- BERNAMA
Bernama
Fri Aug 07 2020
Justice Rohani ordered the plaintiffs to pay a total of RM30,000 costs to all the defendants. - FILEpic
Belanjawan 2025: Pembangunan infrastruktur, pelepasan cukai bantu tingkat keselamatan siber
Pembangunan infrastruktur keselamatan siber serta insentif pelepasan cukai berkaitan antara aspek yang diharapkan menjadi tumpuan kerajaan pada Belanjawan 2025.
Elak penganjuran program cetus polemik, gugat Islam - Mohd Na'im
Sebarang acara atau program yang boleh mencetuskan polemik dan menggugat kedaulatan agama Islam perlu dielakkan sama sekali.
Konvoi motosikal untuk solidariti kepada Gaza
Langsung dari Rosco Cage, Jalan Raja Abdullah, Kuala Lumpur di mana Wartawan Faida Rahim bersama tetamu, Muhammad Aiman Mohd Zain, MyCare Malaysia di acara konvoi motosikal Seru For Gaza di Cafe Rosco sebagai cerminan sokongan kepada saudara sesama Islam di Gaza, yang sudah setahun diganasi rejim Israel.
KPT akan pastikan capaian internet di IPTA berada di tahap tertinggi - Zambry
Kementerian Pendidikan Tinggi (KPT) sedang berusaha memastikan capaian Internet di semua Institusi Pengajian Tinggi Awam (IPTA) berada pada tahap tertinggi.
Bomba selamatkan tiga subkontrakor terkandas di kren pengangkat
Seramai tiga orang subkontraktor terkandas di kren pengangkat (skylift) yang rosak ketika melakukan kerja pemasangan papan tanda kedai di Wisma Taiko, berhadapan Ipoh Padang, malam tadi.
Lempar bom petrol, polis buru tiga Ah Long
Polis sedang memburu tiga individu disyaki Ah Long yang melempar bom petrol ke sebuah rumah di Taman Bintang, Pantai Remis.
Penguasaan bahasa tidak harus bersifat ''zero-sum game'' - PM Anwar
Perdana Menteri mengingatkan penekanan terhadap sesuatu bahasa tidak seharusnya bersifat 'zero-sum game'', sehingga meminggirkan Bahasa Melayu.
Presiden Perancis seru penghantaran senjata ke Israel dihentikan
Presiden Perancis Emmanuel Macron pada Sabtu menyeru agar penghantaran senjata ke Israel dihentikan.
AWANI Ringkas: 12 rakyat Malaysia tiba dari Lubnan hari ini
Ikuti rangkuman berita utama yang menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari di Astro AWANI menerusi AWANI Ringkas.
Bekas rakan sepasukan Cristiano Ronaldo teruja mulakan cabaran dengan JDT
Penyerang baharu Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT), Jese Rodriguez, teruja untuk memulakan cabaran bersama kelab itu.
Malaysia, Singapore to resume discussions on high-speed rail project soon - Azmin
Azmin said, the discussions would encompass some of the proposed changes in the commercial and technical aspects of the project.
Extend the MCO until after Aidilfitri - AMM
The AMM understood the people's desire to spend time with relatives during the Raya holidays but in the face of this outbreak, social distancing had to continue until a new vaccine was discovered.
Industri pertahanan bakal pacu ekonomi negara - Mohamad Sabu
Kertas Putih Pertahanan dijangka dibentangkan di Dewan Rakyat pada November atau awal Disember ini selepas mendapat persetujuan Kabinet.
Do postponements cause delays in the Courts?
Cases may often be postponed or otherwise delayed for various reasons. The truth of the matter is that these delays may be necessary due to the Rule of law and due process.
Tiada perubahan drastik dijangka dari PRU Thailand - Penganalisis
Perjalanan proses itu hanyalah bagi memberi lebih legitimasi kepada kerajaan sedia ada yang dikuasai junta tentera ketika ini.
[OPINION] Opportunity from chaos
The biggest clandestine threat is the evaporation of the middle class across the developed world.
Here are the three considerations we had when we did the Budget - Tony Pua
Damansara MP Tony Pua explained the three major considerations on what went into the development and execution of Budget 2019.
'Kalau nak berkumpul, jangan la dalam bangunan' - Dr Maszlee
Bantahan mereka ini adalah susulan daripada pelantikan Dr Maszlee sebagai Presiden Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Malaysia (UIAM).
Climate change in Malaysia and what it means for us
The worlds climate is changing for the worse, and humans are responsible for that. Lets dive into a touch of science to make sense of this.
Major quake cuts communications, halts oil and gas operations in Papua New Guinea
At least one company began evacuating non-essential personnel after a powerful 7.5 magnitude earthquake hit Papua New Guinea's energy-rich interior on Monday.