PERIKATAN Nasional (PN) has secured a High Court order allowing it to contest the Melaka state election using its coalition logo, despite the Registrar of Societies (RoS) having cancelled its registration on Oct 20.
Judge Datuk Azizan Md Arshad granted a stay of further RoS action until the full disposal of PN’s substantive judicial review, citing the risk of irreparable harm to the coalition’s political activities and participation in the electoral process.
He said the court found that the balance of potential harm favoured the applicants, while the authorities could continue monitoring PN’s activities and take enforcement action if necessary.
“In certain circumstances, there are matters that cannot be reversed, such as participation in Malaysia’s electoral system,” he said when delivering his grounds of judgment.
The court rejected the respondents’ argument that the stay application had become academic because PN’s registration had already been cancelled before the application was decided.
Azizan said the court had to consider the full scope of the relief sought and whether an effective order could still be made, rather than treating the completed administrative action as automatically extinguishing the dispute.
PN’s application sought not only to suspend implementation of a Sept 23, 2026 suspension notice but also to prevent further action by the RoS in relation to the notice, including cancellation of the coalition’s registration, until the substantive judicial review was concluded.
“The scope of the relief is important in determining whether the stay application still serves a practical purpose,” he said.
However, Azizan stressed that the stay did not automatically reinstate PN’s cancelled registration and did not determine whether the RoS decision was lawful.
“The decision does not address the merits of the substantive judicial review application or the validity of the decision to cancel the registration itself,” he said.
The judicial review was filed by five applicants: PN secretary-general Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan; Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia secretary-general Wong Chia Zhen; Malaysian Indian People’s Party secretary-general Sathes Kumar Nilamaham; Parti Wawasan Negara secretary-general Datuk Seri Saifuddin Abdullah; and Parti Pejuang Tanahair secretary-general Datuk Sazmi Miah.
The respondents are RoS registrar Datuk Mohd Zulfikar Ahmad and Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.
The legality of the RoS decision remains open to challenge in the substantive proceedings. - October 22, 2026