Perikatan Nasional (PN) has filed a judicial review application at the High Court seeking to quash two notices issued by the Registrar of Societies (RoS), including an order suspending all coalition activities.
PN secretary-general Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan said the application was filed on Monday morning and named five secretaries-general from PN component parties as applicants.
They are Takiyuddin, who is also PAS secretary-general, Wong Chia Zhen of Gerakan, Santhish Kumar Neelamehan of MIPP, Datuk Seri Saifuddin Abdullah of Wawasan and Datuk Sahazmi Miah of Pejuang.
The application names RoS director-general Datuk Mohammad Zulfikar Ahmad and Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail as respondents.
Takiyuddin said PN was seeking, among other reliefs, a court order to quash the notices issued by RoS against the coalition.
He explained that the first notice, dated September 22 and issued under Section 13(2) of the Societies Act 1966, gave PN 30 days to explain why its registration should not be cancelled.
However, he stressed that the notice did not mean RoS had decided to deregister PN, citing a September 24 statement by the agency clarifying that the notice was not a cancellation order.
The second notice being challenged is the suspension order, which prohibits PN from carrying out any activities other than those necessary to prepare its response to the show-cause notice.
“That is all we are allowed to do, discuss how to respond to the notice.
“That is why we are seeking clarification from RoS and asking the court to make a determination,” Takiyuddin said.
He said the judicial review is currently at the leave stage, with PN waiting for the High Court’s Appellate and Special Powers Division to set a case management date.
Takiyuddin added that the application was filed together with supporting documents, an affidavit and a certificate of urgency, as PN seeks an early determination ahead of the Melaka state election.
