The High Court in Kuala Lumpur has today instructed the Umno 16 group to decide by June 7 on whether they want to continue with their court action to cite Umno secretary-general Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor for contempt.

Justice Nordin Hassan also directed that the lawyer for the Umno 16 to give the contempt suit papers to Umno.

Appearing for the Umno 16, lawyer Izwan Iswat Mohd Noor said the instructions were issued to him after he and senior federal counsel Shamsul Bolhassan, who appeared for the Attorney-General’s Chambers, met Justice Nordin in chambers.

Tengku Adnan, in a statement issued on April 21, said the 16, who filed the suit against Umno organising secretary Ab Rauf Yusoh and the Registrar of Societies, have been sacked.

Following that, the lawyer for the Umno 16 wanted to cite Tengku Adnan for contempt.

The 16, from 11 Umno branches in six states, had on April 20 filed an application in the High Court in Kuala Lumpur, seeking leave to proceed with a judicial review to quash the ROS decision to allow the party a time extension in order to hold its leadership elections.

16 also seek deregistration of Umno

The 16 are Salihudin Ahmad Khalid, Noor Halimi Yahya, Mariam Mohd Ishak, Mohd Hafami Hanif, Saharuddin Tukiman, Azaid Jani, Normalawati Hassan, Radiana Abd Manaf, Mohd Raafeek Rahim, Nurul Hanna Mohd Suhot, Kamarul Abd Wahid, Mohd Hikamal Md Hassim, Muzamzamir Abd Wahab, Norizam Jamaludin, Rohani Ahmad and Muhamad Hafizi Hashim.

They also sought the deregistration of Umno under Section 14(2) and 14(5) of the Societies Act 1966, for both provisional and permanent dissolution.

This follows their argument that the last day for Umno branches to hold its party election was on Feb 28, and that the last day for the supreme council and 191 divisions to function was on April 19, this year.

The High Court had on April 27 dismissed the judicial challenge brought by the 16, after refusing to grant leave for them to do so.

Irwan Iswat said the Umno 16 have filed a notice of appeal against that decision and are awaiting a date to be fixed by the Court of Appeal.