The Malacca High Court has granted an application for leave by seven Malacca residents to challenge the Election Commission's ongoing redelineation exercise.

"Can proceed with judicial review of #Melaka redelineation! Now court hearing for stay order of entire redelineation," said electoral reform coalition Bersih on its official Twitter handle.

On April 4, seven voters had reportedly filed an application for a judicial review and a stay order against the EC.

The seven - Chan Tsu Chong, 29, Neo Lih Xin, 31, Azura Talib, 40, Lim Kah Seng, 31, Norhizam Hassan Baktee, 51, Amir Khairudin, 53, and Amran Atan, 47 - were representing voters from the Kota Melaka and Bukit Katil parliamentary seats in challenging the EC's proposed re-delineation exercise which they deemed "unconstitutional".

They are represented by National Human Rights Society (Hakam) president and prominent lawyer Ambiga Sreenevasan.

When contacted later, Chan, who is also Bersih 2.0’s secretariat member, said that the High Court has set May 12 to deliver a decision on a stay order application against the redelineation process.

Among others, Chan said their application was made on grounds that the High Court in Kuala Lumpur had last December, granted a stay on all local inquiries by the EC on both federal and state seats in Selangor.

With the exclusion of Selangor, Chan said EC’s attempts to proceed with the re-delineation exercise in other states would be unlawful.

“The Federal Constitution states that the EC is to hold redelineation exercises for three separate units - Sabah, Sarawak and the Peninsula,” he said.

Chan added that the Ipoh High Court is also expected to deliver a decision on a judicial review application by two DAP MPs against EC's redelineation exercise in Perak.

Ipoh Barat MP M Kulasegaran and Ipoh Timur MP Thomas Su had filed the application on April 18, including on the ground that the first local inquiry held for their constituencies were unlawful.