High Court grants Pua leave for judicial review

The High Court here today granted an application by Petaling Jaya Utara Member of Parliament Tony Pua Kiam Wee for leave for a judicial review to challenge an Immigration order barring him from leaving the country.

Justice Datuk Asmabi Mohamad made the decision in chambers during which Pua was represented by counsel Gobind Singh Deo while the Immigration director general and the Malaysian government as respondents, by senior federal counsel Shamsul Bolhassan.

Gobind told reporters when met, that the judge had also fixed Oct 15 for case management.

Pua who is also DAP's national publicity secretary is seeking a declaration that the restriction order imposed on him on July 22, this year, was unlawful and invalid.

He is also seeking to quash the order, besides special damages, costs and other relief deemed fit by the court.

The DAP leader alleged that the order was ultra vires or beyond the authority of the respondents as he was not given any notice or opportunity to be heard prior to the decision.

He alleged that the decision was unreasonable, unfair and mala fide or malacious against him.

Pua was at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 for a flight to Yogyakarta, Indonesia when he was stopped from leaving.