KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 22): The Federal Court has set Nov 5 to hear Muar Member of Parliament Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman's appeal, on whether the courts can adjudicate on policy matters, specifically on funds already earmarked for parliamentary constituencies.
Senior federal counsel Nurhafizza Azizan confirmed the matter when contacted.
Back in March, a three-member apex court panel had allowed Syed Saddiq's leave (permission) application for the matter to be heard substantially, as it passed the threshold required by law.
In civil cases, applicants must first obtain leave before the actual appeal is heard. Leave is granted to cases which, among others, contain novel questions of law and are of public importance.
The Malaysian United Democratic Alliance (Muda) co-founder's case concerns outstanding allocations for his constituency, which were on hold after he withdrew his support for the unity government in September 2023.
This was part of the party's response to the withdrawal of all 47 charges faced by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi in his criminal trial.
Besides Syed Saddiq, three other Muar voters who are also community leaders are the applicants in this case. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and the government are named as the respondents.
If applicants are successful, matter to be reverted back to High Court
It has to be noted that should the applicants be successful in their bid on Nov 5, the matter will then be reverted to the High Court to be heard fully.
Presiding judge Tun Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh, who is now the Chief Justice, had dismissed the application in December 2024, on the grounds that it had not been filed within the stipulated three-month period.
The Court of Appeal echoed the same grounds and dismissed the Muar MP's appeal in October last year. Syed Saddiq then brought the appeal to the apex court.
In the judicial review challenge, Syed Saddiq said that RM500,000 out of a total RM1.7 million previously allocated by the government had yet to be paid to his constituency. The monies were to fund charitable programmes, welfare of the constituents, and natural disaster aid. He noted that the constituency had received a total of RM1.5 million from various allocations up until Sept 10, 2023.
He added that the government had also cancelled a separate allocation of RM230,300, for which he had applied and had been approved under the MyKhas allocation system. These funds were, among others, meant for renovations and repair works of schools and mosques.
Syed Saddiq also claims that his access as an MP to the MyKhas system to apply for allocations for Muar has been revoked.
Syed Saddiq said he funded constituency projects through part-time gigs
Back in March, Syed Saddiq confirmed that following some back and forth, only operational costs were released, and even then, it happened two years after the funds were paused.
He added that welfare and developments funds — for renovations of houses of worship and schools, for example — were still frozen.
He also said that he was funding projects on the ground through his part-time gigs. He said that his collaboration with fashion brand PrimaValet itself topped RM6 million.
Syed Saddiq, along with his wife Bella Astillah, are brand ambassadors for PrimaValet.