The Registrar of Societies (RoS) informed Urimai that its application had been rejected on July 4 last year. On Feb 27, the Kuala Lumpur High Court granted the party leave to initiate judicial review proceedings against the government’s decision.

“In accordance with due process, we appealed to the minister, but his rejection has now come even before the court hearing could proceed.

“In a letter dated March 7, an official from the ministry conveyed Saifuddin’s decision without providing any reasons for the rejection,” Ramasamy said in a statement.

Ramasamy, a former Penang deputy chief minister, said the rejection of Urimai’s registration must align with the constitutional provisions that guarantee the right to form political parties and associations.

“While the rejection is unsurprising, it is clear that Urimai’s growing political influence has unsettled the current government,” he added.

Urimai’s lawyer Shamsher Singh Thind told FMT that its legal team would be filing a notice to the court today to amend the party’s judicial review application and statement in light of the development.

Shamsher previously said that with the leave to commence judicial review, the RoS would be required to justify on affidavit its rejection of Urimai’s application for registration.

The party claims that the RoS’s decision to reject its registration violated its constitutional right to freedom of association.

It is seeking a court declaration that the rejection and the minister’s failure to consider its appeal are tantamount to a denial of rights as enshrined in Article 10(1)(c) of the Federal Constitution.

Urimai also wants the court to issue a certiorari order to quash the registrar’s decision, and a mandamus order to compel Urimai’s registration as a political party within 14 days.

Alternatively, the party asked the court to compel the home minister to consider and decide on Urimai’s appeal within the same time frame.