RoS, home minister appeal against stay on PN deregistration

The Registrar of Societies (RoS) and home minister have filed an appeal against the High Court’s decision to stay Perikatan Nasional’s (PN) deregistration.

A notice of appeal sighted by FMT names RoS director-general Zulfikar Ahmad and home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail as the appellants.

It states that both are dissatisfied with the ruling delivered by Justice Azizan Arshad yesterday.

The notice was filed by a senior federal counsel on behalf of the two appellants.

PN lawyer Rafique Rashid Ali confirmed the filing.

The stay granted by the High Court will remain in force pending the outcome of the coalition’s judicial review application.

Azizan ruled that exceptional circumstances warranted a stay, citing PN’s political role and the implications for its rights as elected representatives and state governments.

On Oct 5, PN filed a judicial review application against the RoS, seeking, among others, a certiorari order to quash the Sept 23 notice suspending the coalition’s activities indefinitely and a Sept 22 show-cause notice requiring it to explain why it should not be deregistered.

PN also sought a declaration that both notices were null and void.

The application was filed by the secretaries-general of five PN component parties, excluding Bersatu.