Penang govt taking a wait and see approach on PPS, says Guan Eng

GEORGE TOWN: The Penang government is taking a wait and see approach on whether to reconstitute the Penang Voluntary Patrol Unit (PPS) after the Court of Appeal ruled the Unit was lawfully established.
Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said the federal government has 30 days to appeal Tuesday's ruling at the Federal Court.
He described the legal process as the "final hurdle" but expressed his gratitude for the decision by the apellate court.
Lim said the PPS was established to help the police in community policing.
He said those PPS members who were arrested (on Merdeka Day 2014) can now feel vindicated as they were in a lawful organisation.
Lim nonetheless said his government will leave it to the PPS members to decide if they wanted to continue their activities.
He said they could do so after the court ruled the Unit was lawful but noted the federal government could appeal and ask for a stay pending disposal of the case at the Federal Court.
"They can start, but if a stay is granted then they have to stop," he said in a press conference today with Penang Environment, Welfare and Caring Society Committee chairman cum PPS chairman Phee Boon Poh.
A bench of three judges led by Datuk Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat found the PPS was lawfully established by the Penang government.
The state had in 2015 made the appeal to the Court of Appeal after the High Court dismissed their application for a judicial review after the Home Ministry declared the PPS an unlawful organisation in 2014.
On the future of the Voluntary Patrol Body (BPS), formed in Nov 2016, Lim said the BPS would revert to the PPS if the Federal Court found the PPS to be lawfully established.
He said the state was not aiming to contest with anyone but only wanted to assist the public and community.