KOTA KINABALU: Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) president Datuk Teo Chee Kang has conveyed to Datuk Liew Vui Keong, through third parties, his desire for an amicable settlement of the judicial review by which the latter sought relief of the court to quash the Registrar of Societies’ (ROS) letter which recognizes Teo as the party president.
However, Teo has yet to receive any response from Liew.
In a press statement issued yesterday, Teo said he was willing to work on a settlement in the interest of the party.
“I have in fact conveyed to Datuk VK Liew through third parties my desire for an amicable settlement of the matter on terms which I prefer not to disclose at this juncture.
“But I did not receive any response (from Liew),” he said.
Teo said this when commenting on Liew’s application for leave to proceed with judicial review naming ROS, Teo and Senator Datuk Chin Su Phin as the first, second and third defendants respectively was dismissed by the High Court in Kota Kinabalu with costs.
Upon hearing the preliminary objections raised by Senior Federal Counsel Rahazlan Affandi who appeared for the federal Attorney General’s Chambers, Datuk Roderic Fernandez and Alvin Leong Yin Yuan as counsels for Teo and Chin, Justice Stephen Chung dismissed the leave application with costs to the defendants.
The objections raised were, among others, that the applicant is in effect using judicial review to seek the court for adjudication of disputes within a political party, which is barred by Section 18C of the Societies Act, and that such circumvention of the said statutory provision must not be allowed.
Roland Cheng and Rakhbir Singh acted for Liew.
“He (Liew) still has the right to appeal. The ball is now in his court,” Teo said.