KUALA LUMPUR – The Federal Court has thrown out a bid by 16 former Umno members to quash an April 2018 approval from the Registrar of Societies (RoS) for the party to delay its election.
The former members had also wanted the RoS to dissolve the party. The RoS had, in March 2018, allowed Umno to postpone its election until April 2019.
Today’s ruling was a unanimous decision by a five-member bench led by Chief Judge of Malaya Tan Sri Azahar Mohamed.
The other members of the bench were Federal Court judges Datuk Abdul Rahman Sebli, Datuk Seri Hasnah Mohammed Hashim, Datuk Mary Lim Thiam Suan and Datuk Rhodzariah Bujang.
Malaysiakini reported that Azahar ruled that the matter has become academic as Umno had completed its party polls on June 30, 2018.
“The political party in question has already completed all of its elections at all levels. Under these circumstances, this is now an academic ground,” he was quoted as saying.
“The actual dispute, in this case, revolves around the issue pertaining to the extension of time for a political party to conduct internal elections.
“It concerns a political dispute between members of a political party, in which the relationship is contractual in nature.
“In this context, the general principle is the court will not interfere with the internal affairs of a political party as it is a domestic concern of parties and their members.
“The question of ousting the court’s jurisdiction in the dispute of a political party does not arise.” – The Vibes, March 3, 2021
