KOTA KINABALU: Datuk V.K. Liew has exhausted all legal avenues to be reinstated as Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) president after the Federal Court endorsed the Registrar of Societies’ (ROS) decision recognising the current party leadership.
In a unanimous verdict, a five-member panel chaired by Chief Judge of Malaya Tan Sri Zulkefli Ahmad Makinudin held that the ROS letter dated January 2, 2014 on the matter was not a decision and merely administrative in nature, and was therefore not amenable for judicial review.
Other members in the panel included Federal Court judges Tan Sri Suriyadi Halim Omar, Tan Sri Ahmad Haji Maarop, Tan Sri Haji Mohamed Apandi Ali and Datuk Ramly Ali.
On May 23 this year, the Court of Appeal had affirmed a High Court’s February 17 decision dismissing Liew’s application for leave to commence a judicial review challenging the ROS’ decision.
The Court of Appeal, among others, held that the ROS’ letter on Jan 7 last year was purely administrative in nature and not a decision. No order was made as to cost.
On January 28, Liew filed an ex-parte application for leave at the High Court naming the ROS, Datuk Teo Chee Kang and Datuk Chin Su Phin as the first, second and third respondents respectively.
Liew had said then that he had filed the application in his capacity as LDP president and would not recognise the legitimacy of its current leaders until the dispute was resolved in court.
The former Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department had, among others, sought a declaration that the ROS had acted against the Societies Act when it confirmed that the extraordinary general meeting and its election of office bearers held on October 19 by Teo’s group was legal and that the ROS letter dated January 7 recognising Teo and the new committee was unlawful.
Liew was also ordered by the court to pay cost of RM5,000 each to the first and second respondents.
Liew was represented by counsels, Dato’ Rakhbir Singh and Roland Cheng, the ROS was represented by Senior Federal Counsel Shamsul Bolhassan while counsels Datuk Roderick Fernandez represented the second and third respondents.
When met outside the court later, Liew said he respected the Federal Court’s decision but pointed out it did not mean an end to his political career.
“It only means that my journey in the courts has come to an end but my political career will continue through various capacities,” he said.
Meanwhile, LDP president Datuk Teo Chee Kang said the party would move on now that the Federal Court had dismissed Liew’s application for leave to appeal to the apex court, with costs.
Teo said the whole LDP leadership saga was not about individuals.
“It is not about VK Liew or Teo Chee Kang, it is about the party as an institution.
“We have patiently allowed legal proceedings to take its course.
“Now that all legal avenues have been exhausted, the party will move on,” he said.