KUALA LUMPUR: The Edge Communications Sdn Bhd
has failed to get a temporary stay of the Home Ministry’s three-month
suspension on its two publications until the outcome of a judicial
review.
High Court judge Justice Asmabi Mohamad made the decision in chambers yesterday.
Senior federal counsel Alice Loke Yee Ching, who represented the minister, said the application was dismissed on grounds that the publisher failed to show special circumstances to earn a stay.
She said The Edge Communications claimed that it would suffer irreparable harm if the suspension order was not lifted but did not show what the damage would be.
The company does not have to worry about financial loss if the suspension was not lifted now, according to her.
“In the event The Edge wins in a substantive application, they could still be adequately compensated,” she said.
The court granted the company leave on Aug 5 to file an application for a judicial review of the suspension order, with a view to quashing it.
On July 23, the ministry suspended the printing permits of The Edge Weekly and The Edge Financial Daily for three months, beginning July 27.
It said that articles on the debt-ridden sovereign fund 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) in the publications were detrimental to public order, security and national interests.
Failure to comply with the suspension order would result in revocation of the publishing permits of the publications, the ministry said.
The Edge Media Group, in a statement yesterday, said it was “disappointed and gravely concerned” over the court’s decision not to temporarily stay the Home Minister’s suspension order.
It said that this meant that it would now be deprived of the full benefit of any remedy from a judicial review that it applied for and which has been fixed for hearing on Sept 7. But the group said it respected the court’s decision and would not be appealing.
“We will instead focus on preparing for the judicial review,” it said.
The group also expressed disappointment that no reasons were given by the Home Ministry as to how or why the articles on 1MDB threatened public order, security and national interests.
“No affidavit was filed by the respondents in resisting our application for a stay,” it said.
High Court judge Justice Asmabi Mohamad made the decision in chambers yesterday.
Senior federal counsel Alice Loke Yee Ching, who represented the minister, said the application was dismissed on grounds that the publisher failed to show special circumstances to earn a stay.
She said The Edge Communications claimed that it would suffer irreparable harm if the suspension order was not lifted but did not show what the damage would be.
“In the event The Edge wins in a substantive application, they could still be adequately compensated,” she said.
The court granted the company leave on Aug 5 to file an application for a judicial review of the suspension order, with a view to quashing it.
On July 23, the ministry suspended the printing permits of The Edge Weekly and The Edge Financial Daily for three months, beginning July 27.
It said that articles on the debt-ridden sovereign fund 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) in the publications were detrimental to public order, security and national interests.
Failure to comply with the suspension order would result in revocation of the publishing permits of the publications, the ministry said.
The Edge Media Group, in a statement yesterday, said it was “disappointed and gravely concerned” over the court’s decision not to temporarily stay the Home Minister’s suspension order.
It said that this meant that it would now be deprived of the full benefit of any remedy from a judicial review that it applied for and which has been fixed for hearing on Sept 7. But the group said it respected the court’s decision and would not be appealing.
“We will instead focus on preparing for the judicial review,” it said.
The group also expressed disappointment that no reasons were given by the Home Ministry as to how or why the articles on 1MDB threatened public order, security and national interests.
“No affidavit was filed by the respondents in resisting our application for a stay,” it said.
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