THE legal team representing former Malaysian Cricket Association (MCA) president Mohammed Iqbal Ali Kassim Ali has pushed to strike out the civil suit filed against him and his exco.
Iqbal's counsel, Datuk Seri Rajan Navaratnam told the High Court yesterday that the plaintiffs acted prematurely in filing the suit when the 1997 Sports Development Act (SDA) lays out mandatory internal steps that must be exhausted before a party can seek court intervention.
He said that according to Section 23 of the 1997 SDA, this matter should have been resolved internally.
“Also, the Sports Commissioner is empowered to investigate any dispute between parties, meaning whether his resignation is valid or not, whether the EGM was conducted properly in accordance with the constitution of the association and so on."
Rajan also pointed out to the court that the reason for rushing to have the EGM two weeks before the BGM was to ensure the leadership team of Iqbal could not be re-elected.
In July last year, the High Court dismissed an application by the MCA seeking an injunction against five of its members who are no longer executive committee members and cannot act as such.
Justice Datuk Raja Ahmad Mohzanuddin Shah Raja Mohzan dismissed the application on the basis that the plaintiff failed to provide any evidence that the defendants had taken steps to hold themselves out as the Exco of MCA.
It was earlier reported that Datuk Ahmad Feisal, who is the Vice President of MCA and the Honorary Treasurer of the Olympic Council of Malaysia, had accused the defendants – one of whom is Iqbal and the other committee members of meddling in the association’s affairs despite their public resignations.
In addition to Iqbal, he named Dr Arun Kumar, Amarjeet Singh, Mahnorizal Mahat and Ahmad Salman Othman as the committee members (defendants).
Mohammed Iqbal had resigned as the MCA president on April 13 but withdrew it and said he would continue in his role for the remainder of his current term.
Conspiracy to overthrow MCA leadership
The Vibes had earlier reported that there was a conspiracy by certain members to overthrow the MCA leadership, which was then led by Iqbal (president) and Dr Arun Kumar (deputy).
This follows claims by a state vice-president that his signature was forged in a requisition form by Perak Cricket to remove Iqbal and Dr Arun Kumar.
The controversial EGM was held on April 27, where Mahinda and Ahmad Feisal, who claimed to be the acting president at the time, allegedly pushed through motions that were not even listed on the official agenda.
It was learnt that another individual behind the conspiracy to overthrow Iqbal was Gordon Chung, who is the vice-president of Sarawak Cricket.
Mahinda, Chung and Sehar Sinnadurai, the Honorary Treasurer, were also present in court yesterday.
Rajan also told the High Court yesterday that the defence was applying to strike out the suit entirely.
"The internal processes provided for under the Sports Development Act were never complied with. Their filing of the suit, number one, is premature and an abuse of process," he stressed.
He also pointed out that the case has effectively expired in relevance due to MCA's election cycle.
"This suit has now become redundant and academic because the declaration they are seeking, that Iqbal is no longer president, is no more a live issue," he said.
"They have completed their term on Apr 27, 2025. So why continue pursuing this suit?"
The High Court is scheduled to continue hearing submissions on Feb 3, after which a ruling is expected.
"Our next continued submissions on Feb 3 will be completed. After that, the judge will make a decision," he said.
Rajan also pointed out that the law requires all sports bodies to address their problems internally before turning to the judiciary.
"There has been a case which I intend to rely on that says you must exhaust all internal remedies provided for, either in the constitution or the rules, before you come to court. Because if you don't do that, the court is seized of jurisdiction," he said.
Matter already under investigation
Rajan also pointed out that the Sports Commissioner had already stated that the MCA matter was under investigation.
The court was also informed that Iqbal had stated that he was not going to run again for the president’s position, but wanted to ensure a transparent election that complied with and followed the requirements of the SDA and ensured that all stakeholders had their rights recognised.
Iqbal had also earlier informed The Vibes that no settlement of any kind had ever been sought, and they remain fully committed to fighting this matter honourably and transparently.
“It is also vital to set the record straight once and for all: we did not initiate these proceedings.
“We did not drag anyone to court, nor did we pursue litigation as a strategy — despite the misleading narratives being circulated to the wider fraternity.
“We stand in this matter as defendants, not plaintiff(s), and it is therefore both perplexing and deeply disappointing to witness continued attempts to distort public perception and shift the optics of this situation,” he added.
The Vibes had also earlier reported that the MCA had sent an urgent request to the Sports Commissioner to intervene following concerns over membership and governance within the association.
Iqbal detailed 10 concerns in a letter, which include the denial of membership rights involving the Kelantan and Sabah CAs; the unlawful suppression of membership rights involving Putrajaya CA and allegations of non-performance by the Kedah and Perlis CAs. – January 10, 2026
