HRP again files judicial review for registration

The political platform of Hindraf, the Human Rights Party of Malaysia, has once again filed an application for a judicial review of the government’s rejection of its efforts to be registered as a political party. The party’s pro-tem secretary-general, P Uthayakumar, named Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein as the first respondent and the Registrar of Societies (ROS) and the Federal Territories Registrar of Societies as the second and third respondents in the application he filed this morning.

“We hope that before the next general election, we will be able to contest under our own banner as the Human Rights Party of Malaysia,” Uthayakumar (left) said at the Jalan Duta Court Complex this afternoon.

The application , filed through M/s M Manoharan & Co, comes after the Home Ministry’s failure to respond to HRP’s appeal on the rejection of its application for registration by the ROS.

Uthayakumar is seeking an order of certiorari to set aside the presumed rejection of the registration of HRP by the Home Ministry, basing this on the ministry’s failure to respond within 14 days of the appeal being made on Aug 19, and the letter of rejection from the ROS.

He also wants a writ of mandamus to compel the respondents to reply to its appeal and approve HRP as a registered political party within seven days of the court making such an order.

Uthayakumar had in April filed his first application for a judicial review after the ROS ignored the HRP application to be registered as a political party.

‘Constitution 99 percent similar to DAP’s’
High Court judge Rohani Yusof had then ordered the ROS to respond to the application.

The ROS replied that it rejected the HRP’s application because it was not in order and that it did not provide a constitution it required.

“Almost 99 percent of HRP’s constitution is the same as the DAP’s. Are they saying that the DAP’s constitution is not in order? Why then has the DAP been registered for 45 years?” Uthayakumar asked.

This, he said, showed that the ROS decisions were not free from the BN’s political influence and were done in bad faith, with the intention of impeding HRP’s efforts in championing the rights of poor Indians.

“Prime Minister Najib (Abdul Razak) is saying we are heading towards becoming the world’s best democracy, but they wouldn’t even approve one political party. What democracy (are they talking about)?”

The HRP has expressed its desire to contest in constituencies with a significant Indian population in the next general election, which has caused friction with Pakatan Rakyat as most of the seats HRP is eyeing are held by the opposition coalition.