by AFIQ AZIZ / Pic by TMR FILEPIX

PARTI Pejuang Tanah Air, led by former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, has taken its long overdue registration issue to the court.

In a statement yesterday, the party pro tem secretary general Datuk Amiruddin Hamzah (picture) said Pejuang has filed the judicial review at the Kuala Lumpur High Court which compels Home Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin and the Registrar of Societies (RoS) to decide on Pejuang’s registration appeal. Hamzah and RoS were named respondents to the action.

Through the filing, Pejuang sought a declaration that the minister had failed to make any decision on Pejuang’s appeal against RoS’ decision, which had earlier rejected the party’s application to be registered several times.

According to Amiruddin, both respondents’ “inaction and omission” have violated its statutory obligations under Section 18 of the Societies Act 1966.

Additionally, Pejuang also sought the court to declare that the inaction and omission as unreasonable and done in bad faith.

The party stated that the “omission” is an attempt to deny Pejuang’s constitutional right to contest in the general election by using the party’s own logo.

Pejuang had submitted its application as a registered party to RoS in August last year.

In January, the party pro tem chairman Dr Mahathir claimed the party had complied with all requirements by the RoS, but the registrar said it was still waiting for the minister’s approval.

While alleging the delay as “politically motivated”, Dr Mahathir said Pejuang will meet Hamzah to discuss this matter, as the minister has the final say in approving or rejecting the party’s application.

In the statement yesterday, Amiruddin said Pejuang has requested a mandamus order against Hamzah to provide a decision on the party’s appeal and to order RoS to finalise Pejuang’s registration within seven days after a court ruling. A mandamus order is a court order compelling a government official to fulfil their official duties.

The formation of Pejuang, a Malay-based party came after Dr Mahathir and five lawmakers were expelled from the former’s own founded movement, Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia, after they refused to support the new ruling coalition Perikatan Nasional (PN) led by Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

The MPs are Amiruddin, Datuk Seri Muhkriz Mahathir, Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, Dr Maszlee Malik and Senator Datuk Marzuki Yahya.

Sri Gading MP Datuk Dr Shahruddin Md Salleh later joined Pejuang after vacating his deputy works minister post under the PN administration.

Maszlee, who was Pejuang information chief at the initial stage, quit the party while Syed Saddiq had taken a different path and registered his own youth-based party — Malaysian United Democratic Alliance — last September, which is also yet to receive the approval of the RoS.

Dr Mahathir said Pejuang’s formation was to fight corruption as other Malay-based parties, such as Umno and Bersatu, had strayed from their original missions and had chosen the path of money and power.