Judge Ahmad Kamal Md Shahid granted leave for judicial review during a hearing today, after senior federal counsel Mohd Sabri Othman, representing the minister, said they are not objecting to the legal challenge.

“Has the minister (Hamzah Zainudin) made any decision on Pejuang’s application? If there is a decision, then this judicial review will be rendered academic,” the judge said.

In response, Sabri said the minister has yet to decide on Pejuang’s application.

The court set April 15 for next case management after Pejuang’s lawyer, Rafique Rashid Ali, informed the court they have filed a certificate of emergency for the judicial review to be expedited.

“The parties have to appear before me on April 15 so I can give further directions on filing of submissions,” Kamal said.

Pejuang had filed its appeal to Hamzah after the Registrar of Societies (RoS) rejected its application on Jan 6.

The party subsequently filed a challenge to compel Hamzah and RoS to make a decision on the application.

Party’s pro tem secretary-general, Amiruddin Hamzah, said the minister’s “inaction and omission” had violated its statutory obligations under Section 18 of the Societies Act 1966.

He claimed the minister’s inaction was an attempt to deny Pejuang’s constitutional right to contest in the general election using its own logo.

Mahathir had said last year that Pejuang’s goals were to fight corruption, and that other Malay-based parties, such as Umno and PPBM, had strayed from their original paths and had been swayed by money and power.

RoS also rejected the application by MUDA, led by Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, for registration.

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