KUALA LUMPUR – The High Court today dismissed Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman’s bid to challenge the government’s decision to withdraw allocations meant for his constituency.
Judge Datuk Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh, delivering the decision, stated that the application was filed beyond the legally stipulated timeframe, leaving the court without jurisdiction to address the issue.
“The application was not filed within the stipulated three-month period as required by the law. Matters of allocation are an executive matter which falls outside the court’s purview,” said the judge, who now serves as a Court of Appeal judge.
He further clarified that the Federal Constitution does not obligate government agencies to allocate funds to MPs, regardless of their political alignment.
“The application for leave is therefore denied… in view of the public interest in a case, with no order to cost,” the judge concluded.
Speaking to reporters after the proceedings, Syed Saddiq announced his intention to appeal the verdict at the Court of Appeal.
The application, filed on April 23, was brought forward by Syed Saddiq and three Muar voters – Najib Abu Nawar, Mohd Bakirudin Abdullah, and Muhamad Fadzly Bisri. They named the prime minister and the Malaysian government as the first and second respondents, respectively.
The group sought a court order to overturn the government’s decision to withhold RM500,000 from the RM1.7 million allocated for the Muar Parliamentary Service Centre, funds intended for welfare, community wellbeing, and disaster relief efforts.
They also requested the reinstatement of Syed Saddiq’s access to the myKHAS system, which manages the RM2 million development fund for the constituency, as well as the reversal of the cancellation of several projects valued at RM230,300 that had been approved through the system.
Additionally, the applicants challenged the government’s refusal to allocate funds to Syed Saddiq for community-focused initiatives, including “Projek Mesra Rakyat” or similar programmes, for 2024.
They argued that the government’s actions violated Syed Saddiq’s rights as the MP for Muar and infringed on the rights of the three voters, as protected under Article 8 of the Federal Constitution, which guarantees equality before the law. – December 24, 2024