PUTRAJAYA, April 29 — The Penang government has withdrawn its application to seek leave to appeal in the Federal Court against the Election Commission (EC)’s redelineation exercise of electoral boundaries.

Lawyer Leong Cheok Keng representing the Penang state government said his client did not want to pursue the matter further as it was of the view that the matter was academic.

"We filed the notice of discontinuance last Friday,” he told Bernama when contacted.

He said the hearing of the leave to appeal application, scheduled for hearing today before Federal Court three-member panel has been vacated.

The state government had earlier intended to pursue the matter to clarify on the point of law on whether the EC’s recommendations on redelineation of electoral boundaries were justifiable and amendable for judicial review.

The Penang government filed a leave to appeal application in the Federal Court after losing their legal action in the High Court which refused to grant it (state government) leave to commence its judicial review to challenge the EC’s redelineation exercise in the 14th general election.

It also sought for a certiorari order for the EC’s recommendations to be quashed and the 2016 electoral roll to be revoked.

The state government also lost its appeal at the Court of Appeal which dismissed it on February 21, last year. — Bernama