Former Melaka chief minister Adly Zahari has started legal proceedings to stop the state election scheduled for next month. -NSTP file pic
Former Melaka chief minister Adly Zahari has started legal proceedings to stop the state election scheduled for next month. -NSTP file pic

KUALA LUMPUR: Former Melaka chief minister Adly Zahari has started legal proceedings to stop the state election scheduled for next month.

Adly, who is Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) vice president, filed leave to seek a judicial review challenging the dissolution of the state legislative assembly.

He filed the application through Messrs Gan Ho & Razlan Hadri at the High Court here today.

He named former CM Datuk Seri Sulaiman Md Ali, speaker Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh, the Election Commission (EC) and Yang Dipertua Negeri Tun Mohd Ali Rustam as the first, second, third, and fourth respondents.

Adly is seeking to declare the dissolution of the 14th legislative assembly under Article 19(2) of the State Constitution as null and void.

He said Sulaiman had lost his majority prior to advising Ali to dissolve the assembly.

He claimed Ali was not aware that Sulaiman had lost his majority when he went to seek the dissolution of the 14th state legislative assembly.

"It was irrational for the first respondent to advise the fourth respondent on or around Oct 4 to dissolve the assembly due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

"The advice by Sulaiman to the Governor was an act of mala fide," he said in his court document.

Adly is also seeking a certiorari order to quash the writ of election issued by the EC on Oct 18.

The state legislative assembly was dissolved after four assemblymen withdrew their support from the Barisan Nasional state government, leaving it without a majority in the 28-seat legislative assembly.

The assemblymen are former chief minister Datuk Seri Idris Haron (Sungai Udang), Datuk Nor Azman Hassan (Pantai Kundor), Datuk Norhizam Hassan Baktee (Pengkalan Batu) and Datuk Noor Effandi Ahmad (Telok Mas).

On Oct 18, EC chairman Datuk Abdul Ghani Salleh announced that the state election would be held on Nov 20, with nomination day set for Nov 8 and early voting on Nov 16.

keywords: Melaka, state election, Parti Amanah Negara, Amanah, High Court, leave, judicial review,