KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 11— The Penang Voluntary Patrol Unit (PPS) may be revived despite a Home Ministry ban on the organisation, according to the News Straits Times.
Quoting a source, the NST report said that the state government’s PPS will be rebranded as the Voluntary Patrol Bureau (BPS), under Penang’s state welfare committee.
“This is expected to make it unnecessary for the body to be registered under Section 5 of the Societies Act 1966 — one of the reasons why PPS was declared illegal by the Home Ministry,” the source was quoted saying.
“The hierarchy of BPS is thorough and well thought-out, countering criticisms that PPS did not have a proper structure the last time,” the source added.
A total of 158 PPS members, including three elected representatives, were arrested on August 31 last year after the annual Merdeka parade.
The Home Ministry officially declared the unit unlawful in November last year and ordered that no group can now use the name, symbol or logo of the PPS.
The Penang state government filed for a judicial review on January 27 to challenge the ban on PPS, claiming of political victimisation by the federal government.
In its application, the state sought, among others, a certiorari order for the court to nullify a November 3, 2014 declaration by Home Minister Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi that PPS was illegal; a declaration that the PPS was established legally and correctly under Section 101(v) of the Local Government Act 1976; and a declaration that PPS is not an organisation under the Societies Act 1965.
Additionally, the state also sought a restraining order to stop the respondents, their agents and officers from entering and searching the PPS premises or to arrest any PPS members, as well as a mandamus order to compel the respondents, their agents and officers to return all PPS paraphernalia that includes their vests and various equipment with the PPS logo.
Finally, they also sought an order under the Court Procedure 2012 to suspend the minister’s order that outlawed PPS until the court delivers a decision on the judicial review.
Last month, the High Court rejected the Penang government’s leave application which would have allowed the state to file a judicial review against the home minister’s decision to declare PPS an illegal organisation.
The state government has said it will appeal the High Court’s latest decision.
