The High Court has set March 21 as the hearing date of an ex-parte application by Socialist Party of Malaysia president Dr Mohd Nasir Hashim to set aside the Ministry of Home Affairs's rejection of an appeal by the party regarding its registration application.

"This would be the first case in the country's history that a political party is taking the Ministry to court over such an issue," said PSM secretary S.Arutchelvam.

Nasir, through the party's legal counsel Teng Chang Khim, filed a case in the High Court on Oct 26 last year after the Ministry denied the party's appeal against the Registrar of Societies' decision to reject the party's registration application.

PSM had attempted to register itself with the Registrar of Societies as a political party since 1998. It application was rejected through a letter from the Registrar on Jan 27, 1999.

The party then appealed against the decision to the Registrar and the Ministry.The Ministry however, through a letter dated Sept 15 last year, rejected the appeal.

PSM is also demanding a court order to direct the Home Affairs Minister to register the party as a political party and organisation. Because PSM was unable to obtain registration, its candidates in the recent elections ran under the banner of other opposition parties.