Court to hear Crackhouse Comedy Club owners' judicial review bid on May 23

KUALA LUMPUR - The High Court here today fixed May 23 to hear the Crackhouse Comedy Club’s judicial review application challenging Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL)’s action to revoke its business licence and ban its two owners from starting any business in the city permanently.

Lawyer M. Pravin who represents the owners, namely Mohamad Rizal Johan Van Geyzel and Shankar R Santhiram, when contacted, said the application will be heard before Judge Datuk Amarjeet Singh.

The duo filed the judicial review at the High Court here on Nov 24 and named DBKL, Kuala Lumpur Mayor Datuk Seri Mahadi Che Ngah, then Federal Territories Deputy Minister Datuk Seri Jalaluddin Alias, the Ministry of Federal Territories and the Government of Malaysia as respondents.

The owners are seeking a declaration that the decision to revoke the club’s licence was against the law and a declaration that the decision made by Jalaluddin, as well as the ministry to ban them permanently from registering any business in Kuala Lumpur, even under another name and company, unconstitutional.

They also requested a court order to cancel the decision on the grounds that they have a fundamental right under the Federal Constitution to conduct business with a valid licence in the city.

In their supporting affidavit, they said on Aug 17 last year Jalaluddin had issued a statement informing that DBKL licencing committee had decided to cancel the comedy club’s licence effective July 30 the same year and the owners were blacklisted for life from registering a business in Kuala Lumpur, adding that this decision had severely affected them as entrepreneurs.

Mohamad Rizal and Shankar also claimed that they never received any official notice or letter from DBKL on the matter.

Mohamad Rizal also currently faced three criminal charges as he was accused of making and initiating the transmission of offensive communications with intent to offend others via the Facebook application using the profile name ‘Rizal van Geyzel’, Instagram ‘rizalvangeyzel’ and TikTok ‘rizalvangeyzel’, between July 4 and 6, 2022.

The charges were framed under Section 233(1) (a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, punishable under Section 233 (3) of the same act, which provides a maximum fine of RM50,000 or imprisonment not exceeding one year or both, and shall be further fined RM1,000 for every day that the offence is repeated after conviction, if convicted. - BERNAMA