KUALA LUMPUR, March 9 — Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) has mounted a legal bid to challenge the decision of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to freeze its bank accounts.
The party, through Messrs Chetan Jethwani & Company, filed a judicial review application in the High Court yesterday, claiming the decision by the enforcement agency was done in “bad faith”.
According to court documents sighted by Malay Mail, the plaintiffs — namely Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and Datuk Muhammad Suhaimi Yahaya (Rtd) — want the court to revoke the freezing order issued by MACC.
They named MACC chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki, MACC investigation division senior director Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Hashim, MACC anti-money laundering division director Datuk Mohamad Zamri Zainul Abidin, Immigration director-general Datuk Seri Khairul Dzaimee Daud, 13 MACC officers, along with the MACC, the Immigration Department, and the Government as respondents.
According to the application, the party wants the court to revoke the freeze order issued by the MACC since it claimed they were not given any prior notification from the agency before the order was executed around January this year.
Bersatu also alleged that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and his deputy Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had abused their powers, resulting in the MACC’s probe into the party’s accounts.
“This application was filed to seek a court review of the actions and decisions of the respondents who have abused their authority to embark on the wrongful political persecution of the Bersatu leadership, Perikatan Nasional (PN) and Muhyiddin.
“Bersatu believes that MACC’s decision and/or action to issue the freezing order is wrong and MACC’s decision and/or action to reject Bersatu’s application for revocation and/or variation is wrong, unwarranted, unfounded, unreasonable and/or tainted with mala fide,” the document reads.
Separately, the party also stated the Immigration Department had imposed a travel ban on Muhyiddin, attributing the order’s execution to both Anwar and Ahmad Zahid, which the party is challenging in court as well.
The party said the travel ban was aimed at tarnishing Muhyiddin’s reputation and made it seem as if the Pagoh MP had committed a crime and was seeking to abscond.
“The travel ban was imposed because the prime minister is worried that Muhyiddin will appear at an international forum talking about political changes that would touch on developments in Malaysia,” it said, adding the ban also violated Muhyiddin’s rights under the Federal Constitution.
A check of the court e-filing system showed the hearing for leave has been fixed before High Court judge Datuk Ahmad Kamal Md Shahid on April 6.
An application for judicial review is a two-stage process. First, a leave must be obtained, and if it is granted, then the court will hear the applicant’s claim on merits.
Last month, Azam confirmed that several bank accounts held by Bersatu were frozen as part of the agency’s investigation into the party.
The probe is linked to the alleged misappropriation of Covid-19 stimulus packages worth RM92.5 billion by the former PN-led government.
