The 16 former Umno branch members who had earlier challenged the party’s legality dropped their contempt proceedings against Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor today.

Tengku Adnan, who was then Umno secretary-general, had announced the expulsion of the 16 members from the organisation after they filed a judicial review application to quash the Registrar of Societies' (ROS) decision to allow Umno a time extension to hold its party elections.

After their expulsion from the party, the group of 16 then responded by filing contempt proceedings against Tengku Adnan.

The withdrawal of the application for contempt was made before Kuala Lumpur High Court judge Justice Nordin Hassan.

Lawyer Mohd Haniff Khatri Abdulla, who was representing the 16 former Umno members, said he had been instructed by his clients to withdraw the application in light of the new government and also because Adnan is no longer the secretary-general.

Today was initially fixed for the hearing for leave to cite Tengku Adnan for contempt. Tengku Adnan is now the Umno treasurer-general following the party’s elections last month.

"However, the appeal by the 16 over the High Court's decision which dismissed their challenge on Umno's legality as a party due to it not holding its branch, division and supreme council post elections before the stipulated time, is still going on at the Court of Appeal.

"That appeal has been fixed for July 30 at the Court of Appeal for case management," he said.

The 16 had named the ROS and Umno organising secretary Abdul Rauf Yusoh as respondents.

Haniff said the appeal at the Court of Appeal would depend on whether the Attorney-General's Chambers would consider lifting Section 18C of the Societies Act, which stipulates political party members cannot bring their party's disputes to court.

"This section is against the rule of law. How can the court be deprived of looking into the political party members’ welfare or actions?

"If the Court of Appeal grants leave, then the matter would be brought back to the High Court to decide on the merits of the application," the lawyer said.

It was previously reported that the 16 former Umno members’ bid to have the party dissolved for not conducting the party elections within the stipulated time had been dismissed and struck out by the High Court last April.

The court had ruled that members of Umno cannot bring their party's disputes to court as stipulated under Section 18C.

Salihudin Ahmad Khalid (second from left in photo), who led the 16 former Umno members, said the withdrawal of the action against Tengku Adnan follows the changes in the government and Umno itself.

"Now the Umno secretary-general is Annuar Musa. So we felt that going on with the application would not be meaningful.

"(However), the appeal proper is still going on," he said.