Judge in Nurul Izzah’s judicial review application recuses himself

KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court judge in a judicial review application filed by Lembah Pantai member of parliament Nurul Izzah Anwar and 10 others has recused himself from the case.

Justice Datuk Hanipah Farikullah made the decision in chambers yesterday, during which the applicants were represented by counsel Allif Benjamin Suhaimi and the respondents, by senior federal counsel Shamsul Bolhassan.

Allif Benjamin later told reporters that the judge recused himself because his family were close friends with the second respondent.

Nurul Izzah, 36, and the 10, filed the application through Messrs Thomas Philip on Nov 11, challenging the redelineation of Kuala Lumpur proposed by the Election Commission.

They named the EC, its chairman, Datuk Seri Mohd Hashim Abdullah and secretary Datuk Abdul Ghani Salleh as first to third respondent.

The applicants are seeking a certiorari order to quash the first respondent’s decision in a notice dated Sept 15, 2016 on its proposed recommendations for redelineation of state and federal constituencies in the peninsula.

They are also seeking a declaration that the first local investigation conducted by the EC for P.121 (Lembah Pantai) on Nov 8 at Hotel Marriot Putrajaya was unlawful.

They are further seeking an order that the notice and/or process/proceeding/procedures and proposed redelineation recommendations be suspended pending full disposal of the judicial review application. - Bernama