The Appellate and Special Powers Division of the High Court in Kuala Lumpur today granted MIC president G Palanivel and several other party leaders leave to seek a judicial review of the order of the Registrar of Societies (ROS) to the party to hold fresh elections.

Judge Azmabi Mohamad granted the leave in chambers after dismissing a preliminary objection by ROS against two applications for leave for the judicial review.

Senior federal counsel Suzana Atan told reporters that the judge set April 2 to hear submissions from the two sides on an application to postpone the implementation of the ROS decision until after the judicial review is disposed of.

Lawyer B Jadadish Chandra, who represented Palanivel ( right ) and the other MIC leaders, was also present in chambers.

Two applications for leave for a judicial review had been filed, separately.

The first application was filed on Feb 23 by an MIC central working committee (CWC) member A K Ramalingam, 47, who named ROS and its director-general, Mohammad Razin Abdullah, as respondents.

Ramalingam had applied to nullify the respondents' order via letters dated Dec 5, 2014, and Feb 6, 2015, and to seek a declaration that the order was mala fide and ultra vires.

The second application was filed on Feb 24 by Palanivel, MIC vice-presidents S Sothinathan ( left ) and S Balakrishnan and former MIC secretary-general A Prakash Rao, naming the ROS and the minister of home affairs as the first and second respondents, respectively.

In their applications, Palanivel, Sothinathan, Balakrishnan and Prakash Rao are seeking, among other things, a declaration that matters associated with the party elections are subject to the party constitution and should not be based on the ROS views.

They are also seeking a declaration that the outcome of the MIC annual general assembly held on Nov 30, 2013, is valid and enforceable.

The four leaders are also seeking an injunction to prevent the two respondents from taking any action or issuing any directive against the MIC until the judicial review has been disposed of.

- Bernama