The Kuala Lumpur High Court today quashed veteran lawyer Manjeet Singh Dhillon's application to nullify last November's Bar Council election results for alleged improprieties.

Judicial Commissioner Wan Afrah Wan Ibrahim dismissed the case with costs after ruling that the Legal Profession Act (LPA) was not breached as claimed by Manjeet.

In his application filed in February, the lawyer accused Bar Council chairperson Kuthubul Zaman Bukhari ( right ) of violating the LPA by personally collecting the postal ballots.

However, Wan Afrah agreed with the Bar Council's contention that the definition of 'postal ballots' in the LPA was not merely limited to ballots sent via post but it also allows for the ballots to be personally delivered.

She also agreed that Manjeet should have named the 12 main elected members of the Council as defendants in the case as opposed to naming the Malaysian Bar.

In the election, Manjeet failed to retain his position as a council member.

Decision welcomed

Contacted later, Manjeet's lawyer Patrick Dass said he will consult with his client before deciding on whether to file an appeal.

Meanwhile, Bar Council vice-chair Yeo Yang Poh lauded the decision.

"It is a decision welcomed by the Council and the Bar as a whole. All members are entitled to their views and likewise Manjeet is also entitled to his.

"The court has however decided and we should move on from here," he said when contacted.

The Bar Council, which has 36 members, leads the 11,000-strong Malaysian Bar.

The Council was represented by Cecil Abraham and Robert Lazar while Manjeet was represented by M Visvanathan and Dass.