JUNE 17 — In a talk show titled “Bersama Wan Saiful” yesterday, former Dewan Rakyat speaker Azhar Azizan Haruna party leadership’s interpretation of its constitution is final and cannot be challenged by the courts.
“Since the coming into force of Section 18C of the Societies Act 1966, all attempts by disgruntled party members to take the grievances to court have failed. And this is regardless of the fact that the litigants may well have valid grounds to question and perhaps impugn the particular decision or meeting of the political party.“Section 18C of the Societies Act 1966 admits no exception and all manner of suits involving political parties are not to be entertained by the courts.
Azhar, however, contended that the Dewan Rakyat Speaker also has no right to interfere in how a party leadership interprets its constitution just like the court.