Sungai Siput Member of Parliament (MP) Dr Michael Jeyakumar Devaraj has to wait until Sept 7 to challenge the rejection of his application for government funds for projects in his constituency.

High Court Judge Abang Iskandar Abang Hashim set the date after meeting Jeyakumar’s counsel B Mahaletchumi and senior federal counsels Suzana Atan and Shamsul Bolhassan, representing the Attorney-General’s Chambers.

Mahaletchumi told reporters that the date was fixed pending disposal of an appeal by the AG’s Chambers over a ruling allowing leave for judicial review for Jeyakumar.

She said the judge also fixed July 19 to hear the AG’s Chambers’ application to stay the ruling over the leave obtained by Jeyakumar on Feb 25, pending disposal of their appeal.

psm declare asset 120309 jeyakumar In the application, Jeyakumar ( right ) from Parti Sosialis Malaysia named the director-general of the Implementation Coordination Unit of the Prime Minister’s Department, Perak Development Office director and the government, as respondents.

He filed the legal action after his application to the development office director for funds to be used as contributions to SMJK Shin Chung, SJK Methodist and Nurul Ihsan Orphanage, as well as funds for small projects to benefit Orang Asli villages, was rejected via a letter by the director on Oct 12, last year.

Jeyakumar said his request for the funds ought to have been granted as the projects he had applied for were the kind that the special constituency allocation was supposed to be utilised for.

He claimed that it was highly likely that the respondents exercised their discretion to grant funds from the special constituency allocation with bias, in favour of MPs from the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition, and with prejudice against MPs from opposition parties.

He is seeking, among others, a declaration that the special constituency allocation must be provided to all MPs equally, in accordance with Article 8 (1) of the federal constitution.

He is also applying for a mandamus order to compel the respondents to explain their authority in disbursing the funds from the Special Constituency Allocation and to specify the procedure for allocation of funding since 2008.

The MP also wanted a writ of quo warranto (a specific legal order) to be issued against the respondents for them to give information on their authority to exercise discretion to approve and disburse funds from the federal consolidated fund and special constituency allocations.

- Bernama