Seven former members of the Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP) today withdrew their application for a judicial review to challenge the decision of the Registrar of Societies (ROS) for not deregistering the party.

High Court judge Zaleha Yusof allowed Jerip Susil, Ranum Mina, Dr Johnical Rayong Ngipa, Shiling Banggit, Tiong Thai King, Suzanne Lee Tze Ha and Sia Jii Ming's application to withdraw the judicial review in her chambers.

Also present during the proceeding were counsel Edmund Bon representing the applicants, senior federal counsel Khairul Fazly Kamarudin representing ROS and counsel R Yatis acted for SUPP.

Edmund (left) told reporters later that the court allowed the application with no order as to the cost.

Meanwhile the applicants, in their statement given by Edmund, stated that they had the opportunity to serve the people in a new party, the United People's Party (UPP).

They felt and decided that their judicial review's action would best be discontinued so that SUPP did not have to face the possibilities of deregistration.

"Let bygones be bygones and hope that together we all can move on to provide political stability and harmony in Sarawak," they said in a statement.

In their judicial review application, the applicants claimed that in November 2011, prior to the party holding its 22nd Triennial Delegates Conference (TDC 2011), there had been complaints of alleged irregularities and cheating in the party election.

They claimed that they had brought the dispute to ROS but there was delay by ROS in taking the necessary action.

The applicants had sought, among others, a declaration that the decision made by ROS last April 30 in not deregistering SUPP be revoked with immediate effect.

They had also sought a certiorari order to revoke the decision by ROS in line with Section 16 (1)(c) (ix) of the Societies Act 1966.

- Bernama