High Court Grants PN Reprieve Ahead of Melaka State Election
“Focus preparations entirely on the upcoming Nov 14 Melaka state election.”
That was the directive from Perikatan Nasional chairman Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar following a legal reprieve that rescued the opposition coalition from imminent electoral sidelining.
High Court Grants Interim Relief
The Kuala Lumpur High Court granted an interim stay on Oct 22 against the Registrar of Societies’ deregistration order.
High Court Judge Azizan Md Arshad temporarily lifted the suspension on the coalition, preserving its right to contest the state polls using its common logo. Court documents filed on Oct 23 show that ROS director-general Mohd Zulfikar Ahmad and Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail have filed an appeal against the stay with the Court of Appeal.
Internal Rifts Spark Regulatory Action
The legal dispute stems from a Sept 23 suspension notice issued by the ROS, which Perikatan argued was enacted without granting the coalition a proper right to be heard. The ROS subsequently revoked the coalition’s registration on Oct 20 after deeming its response to a show-cause notice unsatisfactory.
Perikatan’s initial deregistration followed a formal complaint lodged by component party Bersatu over internal disputes regarding coalition meetings.
Analysts Weigh Electoral Stakes
Viewfinder Global Affairs managing director Adib Zalkapli told Channel NewsAsia that losing the popular electoral symbol would have dealt a severe blow to the coalition’s appeal among Malay-Muslim voters, particularly along the multiracial west coast of the peninsula where Melaka is located.
University Malaya political analyst Awang Azman Awang Pawi warned that stripping away the unified logo would have fractured campaign consistency and candidate identity among undecided voters.
Perikatan Summons Bersatu to Address Internal Rifts
In response to the reprieve, Perikatan secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan announced that the coalition intends to summon Bersatu to an upcoming meeting to address internal rifts, affirming that Bersatu remains a component party.
The High Court has granted a stay on the Registrar of Societies’ decision to deregister Perikatan Nasional, allowing it to contest the upcoming Melaka polls under its banner.It said the stay was justified by potential harm to PN’s political activities and its right to contest… https://t.co/oAvjvcxCP2 pic.twitter.com/r45ycRIQPQ
The substantive judicial review application challenging the deregistration order proceeds toward a future hearing, while the interim stay remains active through the Nov 14 polling date.
Perikatan Nasional can proceed with its plans to contest the Malacca state election after the Kuala Lumpur High Court today granted a stay on the Registrar of Societies’ (ROS) decision to deregister the opposition pact.The court decision came after the ROS revoked PN’s… pic.twitter.com/eQmnkrvGp8