Former leaders bring case to Kuala Lumpur High Court in bid to challenge legality of party
KUCHING: The Registrar of Societies’ (ROS) decision not to deregister Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) is now under judicial review by the Kuala Lumpur High Court.
The case has been brought by former SUPP leaders Datuk Dr Jerip Susil, Dr Johnical Rayong, Ranum Mina, Shiling Banggit, Datuk Tiong Thai King, Suzanne Lee Tze Hua and Penghulu Sia Jii Ming.
The Kuala Lumpur High Court allowed the former SUPP leaders to challenge the decision of the ROS yesterday.
Dr Jerip said the court’s decision meant that the ROS’ decision made on April 30 not to deregister the party could be overturned by the court and that the ROS’ decision may be rendered null and void.
“If the ROS made a wrong decision, the decision can be quashed and the court can order the Registrar to deregister SUPP,” the Bengoh assemblyman told The Borneo Post.
He said this had to be done because of irregularities in the branch elections before the party’s 2011 Triennial Delegates Conference (TDC), resulting in the boycott of the party elections by former SUPP Sibu chief Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh with six other SUPP elected representatives and other party leaders, including Dr Jerip (Bengoh), Rayong (Engkilili), Ranum (Opar), Tiong (former Lanang MP), Shiling (political secretary), Lee (former SUPP women chief) and Sia (community leader).
“After the TDC, we were completely shut off from party matters and had no chance to redress our complaints within the party because the central working committee was fully controlled by (Peter) Chin (SUPP president) and his faction,” Dr Jerip said.
He added that complaints were made to the ROS in 2011 but there had been a delay by ROS in pursuing the matter.
However, in January 2013, the ROS issued notices stating that two SUPP branches — Bekenu and Piasau — had been de-registered while the party central was slammed with a show cause letter, requiring it to explain why the party should not be de-registered.
“The ROS did not make any decision on the other complaints, involving 12 other branches,” Dr Jerip said.
In February this year, SUPP replied to the show cause letter and on April 30, the ROS responded saying it had decided not to de-register the 53-year-old party.
“We have not been given a copy of SUPP’s reply to ROS nor the letter of April 30 despite the fact that we are the ones who made the complaints,” Dr Jerip added.
He said if they won the case in the court, the ROS could be compelled to de-register SUPP.
“With the case in the High Court now, the legitimacy and existence of SUPP as a political party is still in question.”
In Sarawak’s political history, Sarawak National Party (SNAP) had set a precedent for such a case.
The party was ordered to be de-registered by the ROS. The matter was taken to the High Court which dismissed the judicial review to rescind the de-registration order.
On appeal, the Court of Appeal reversed the ROS’ decision and ordered the party restored.
On further appeal, the Federal Court reversed the Court of Appeal’s decision and ordered SNAP to be de-registered.
The decision of the Federal Court was final and SNAP was deregistered.
“Based on the SNAP case, the legality of SUPP is a question that can remain in doubt for some time to come,” Dr Jerip said.