Commenting on the Court of Appeal ruling yesterday that Sapa was not an illegal society, Soo said the ministry could still lodge an appeal at the Federal Court over the ruling.

“But for now, we are legitimate and our fight for Sarawak is constitutionally legitimate,” The Borneo Post reported her as saying.

The three-judge panel, in considering the appeal by the Home Ministry, saw no reason to interfere with the High Court decision that the ministry was wrong in imposing a ban on Sapa.

The three-man panel comprised Judge Zawawi Salleh, Abdul Rahman Sebli and Abdul Karim Jalil.

At a press conference later, Sapa’s lawyer, Dominique Ng Kim Ho said the three judges had unanimously agreed that there was no reason to disturb the High Court’s decision that Sapa was a legal society.

Senior Federal Counsel Maiserah Juhari represented the Home Ministry, Registrar of Societies (RoS) and the Federal Government.

Sapa was declared unlawful by the Home Ministry on Nov 14, 2014, under the Societies Act 1966, for allegedly carrying out activities prejudicial to the interests of the security of Malaysia and public order.

Sapa took the matter to court by way of an application for a Judicial Review.

It named the Home Minister, RoS director and the Federal Government as respondents.

On Oct 30 last year, High Court judge Rhodzariah Bujang quashed the Home Ministry order banning Sapa.