PUTRAJAYA, May 7 — The Court of Appeal today allowed the Malaysian Bar’s bid to challenge the prosecution’s decision to halt all further proceedings against Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi in the Yayasan Akalbudi corruption case.
A three-member bench comprising Justice Datuk Faizah Jamaludin, presiding with Justices Datuk Dr Lim Hock Leng and Datuk Nadzarin Wok Nordin, ruled that the Bar’s application was not frivolous and had raised arguable points of law that warranted a full hearing at the substantive stage.
“This is an appropriate, rare and exceptional case that warrants a full judicial review. Leave is granted to the appellant to commence judicial review against the Attorney-General’s impugned decision. Thus, the High Court’s decision dated June 27, 2024, is set aside.
“The matter is remitted to the High Court for the substantive hearing of the judicial review. There shall be no order as to costs,” Justice Faizah said in the unanimous decision.
On June 27, 2024, the Kuala Lumpur High Court dismissed the Malaysian Bar’s application for leave to initiate judicial review proceedings, ruling that the application failed to meet the requisite threshold for judicial review. The Bar subsequently filed the present appeal.
— BERNAMA
