The move followed the RoS’ announcement disbanding the opposition party for 30 days from April 5, as it had allegedly violated the Societies Act by not providing relevant documents within a stipulated time frame.
PPBM’s lawyer Haniff Khatri Abdulla told reporters that High Court judge S Nantha Balan had recorded the withdrawal in chambers, but made no order as to cost.
PPBM, a component member of opposition coalition Pakatan Harapan (PH), filed the suit in February accusing the RoS of failing to exercise its duty under the law with regards to the party.
PPBM claimed the RoS did not adhere to provisions in the Societies Act in handling complaints related to PPBM. It also claimed the RoS had issued various statements related to allegations that the two-year-old party had violated its constitution.
Meanwhile, another High Court judge, Kamaludin Md Said, fixed tomorrow (April 11) to hear PPBM’s legal challenge against the RoS’ 30-day provisional deregistration order.
Lawyer Rosli Dahlan, representing PPBM, told Kamaludin that the RoS’ letter dated April 5 had not been handed over to party secretary-general Shahruddin Md Salleh until today.
“We raise this issue because under the law, the authorities must hand it to the person in charge,” he said.
The RoS was ordered to file an affidavit in reply on whether the letter had indeed been given to Shahruddin.
In the application for judicial review filed last week, PPBM is seeking a court order that the RoS’ declaration on the provisional deregistration through a media statement is illegal.
It also wants the court to stop the RoS from taking any unlawful action that prevents the existence of PPBM as a valid political party.