MCA property decision postponed for fifth time

Source: http://malaysiakini.com/news/137706 (Christine Chan, 19/7/2010)
The decision for a judicial review filed by MCA questioning the legality of the Kajang Municipal Council's (MPKj) decision to evict the party from and demolish an MCA building, has been postponed to Sept 24.

This is because the High Court Judge, Hinshawati Shariff, was unable to attend the proceedings. This is the fifth postponement of the case. The original date of the decision was scheduled for March 30 but was delayed to the next day as she was on emergency leave. However, on Mar 31 the MCA lawyer was absent so the judge was unable to proceed as she needed some clarification from the counsels. The decision was then fixed for April 23, but was again deferred as the judge was on medical leave. The case was then postponed to May 14 but she was unable to attend yet again due to medical reasons and it was set for today. Presiding in the Shah Alam High Court, Judge Zainal Azman postponed the case to Sept 24 for the decision to be delivered by Hinshawati herself.
Counsel for MPKj and Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng said that Zainal believed that since Hinshawati had been presiding over the case since it started, it would be more judicious for her to deliver the judgment. He added that he hoped a prompt decision would be delivered as it will affect other local governments nationwide. "I hope the decision will be finally made known to us on Sept 24," he said.
MCA had filed for a judicial review on April 7 last year against MPKj following its decision to foreclose a building occupied by the political party. The building is located in Batu 11 Cheras. Then MCA secretary-general Wong Foon Meng claimed that they had been occupying the land since 1981 with the permission of the Hulu Langat district council. However, MPKj contended that the building was illegally constructed on state land; therefore it has the right to claim possession of the building.
Related link: http://thestar.com.my/news/story/courts