Latest news with #AndrewKhoo
Malaysian Reserve
2 days ago
- Business
- Malaysian Reserve
MUI Properties subscribes to RM5.75m preference shares in MUIB hotel unit
MUI Properties Bhd (MUIP) is subscribing to £1 million (RM5.75 million) worth of preference shares in London Vista Hotel Ltd (LVHL), an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of its parent company, Malayan United Industries Bhd (MUIB). In a bourse filing, MUIP said it has entered into a preference share subscription and holders' agreement (PSSHA) to subscribe for one million cumulative redeemable non-convertible preference shares (CRNCPS) in LVHL at £1 each. The subscription represents 18.7% of LVHL's CRNCPS. The shares carry a fixed preferential dividend of 6% per annum, payable at the end of a two-year term, and rank senior to ordinary shares in dividend payments and capital returns. Redemption is mandatory upon maturity and can be triggered earlier upon the disposal of properties held by LVHL or its subsidiaries — including a full redemption if the Corus Hotel Hyde Park is sold. LVHL owns and operates the freehold Corus Hotel Hyde Park in central London via its unit Plaza on Hyde Park Ltd, and holds a 61% stake in County Hotels Ltd, which owns the Burnham Beeches Hotel in Buckinghamshire. Proceeds from the CRNCPS issuance will be used to meet LVHL's working capital requirements. The transaction is deemed a related party transaction as MUIP is a 72.27%-owned subsidiary of MUIB. Andrew Khoo, who serves as executive chairman and CEO of both MUIP and MUIB and is the son of major shareholder Tan Sri Khoo Kay Peng, abstained from board deliberations. Director Wong Nyen Faat, who also sits on both boards, voluntarily abstained as well. MUIB, in a separate filing, said the issuance of CRNCPS to MUIP is not considered a related party transaction under Bursa Malaysia's listing rules, as MUIP is a subsidiary. Nonetheless, the company observed similar governance protocols. LVHL is currently undertaking a multi-million-pound repositioning exercise for its assets, including rebranding Corus Hotel Hyde Park under an international luxury brand. It expects this to significantly improve average room rates and profitability. Burnham Beeches Hotel has also undergone a brand transformation under 'Imerso Hotels', targeting growth in weddings and spa segments. — TMR
Free Malaysia Today
5 days ago
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Lawyer moots designated areas for peaceful assemblies
Lawyer Andrew Khoo said peaceful assemblies should be allowed and that the police should facilitate them as required by law. PETALING JAYA : A lawyer has proposed that the government designate areas for peaceful assemblies nationwide, following the Federal Court's decision yesterday that the penalty for failing to notify the police of proposed rallies is unconstitutional. Andrew Khoo, a former co-chair of the Bar Council's constitutional law committee, said the decision of the apex court affirmed the freedom to peacefully assemble. 'After 13 years of the coming into force of the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012, it is well past due for the state and federal governments to designate convenient and easily accessible places in every town and city in the country to hold peaceful assemblies,' he said in a statement. Khoo added that the proposed 'maidan' or public squares should be places where the voice of the people is heard, not feared. 'Maidan' is a term of Persian origin referring to designated open spaces where the public can gather and exercise their right to assemble. Khoo said peaceful assemblies should be allowed, and that the police should facilitate them as required by law. 'The proper legal recourse lies in the Penal Code for any violation of peace and order by the organisers or participants of the assembly,' he said. The Federal Court had unanimously ruled that it is unconstitutional to criminalise the failure to notify the police five days in advance of holding a peaceful assembly. Outgoing Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat, delivering the decision of a five-member panel, said Section 9(5) of the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012 imposes a punishment that exceeds the limits permitted under Article 10(1)(b) of the Federal Constitution. Article 10(1)(b) guarantees the freedom of speech, assembly, and association. She said the section was 'a disproportionate intervention' and amounted to a prohibition rather than a restriction of that right. The decision stemmed from a constitutional challenge brought by former Muda secretary-general Amir Hadi, who was charged in 2022 with failing to give the police five days' notice before organising a protest outside the Sogo shopping complex in Kuala Lumpur. Home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said yesterday that his ministry would examine the Federal Court's ruling. The ministry is expected to table an amendment to Section 11 of the Act, which requires organisers of assemblies to obtain the consent of the location's owner or occupier, at the next parliamentary sitting.
Daily Express
02-07-2025
- Politics
- Daily Express
Lawyer moots designated areas for peaceful assemblies
Published on: Wednesday, July 02, 2025 Published on: Wed, Jul 02, 2025 By: FMT Reporters Text Size: Lawyer Andrew Khoo said peaceful assemblies should be allowed and that the police should facilitate them as required by law. PETALING JAYA: A lawyer has proposed that the government designate areas for peaceful assemblies nationwide, following the Federal Court's decision yesterday that the penalty for failing to notify the police of proposed rallies is unconstitutional. Andrew Khoo, a former co-chair of the Bar Council's constitutional law committee, said the decision of the apex court affirmed the freedom to peacefully assemble. 'After 13 years of the coming into force of the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012, it is well past due for the state and federal governments to designate convenient and easily accessible places in every town and city in the country to hold peaceful assemblies,' he said in a statement. Khoo added that the proposed 'maidan' or public squares should be places where the voice of the people is heard, not feared. 'Maidan' is a term of Persian origin referring to designated open spaces where the public can gather and exercise their right to assemble. Khoo said peaceful assemblies should be allowed, and that the police should facilitate them as required by law. 'The proper legal recourse lies in the Penal Code for any violation of peace and order by the organisers or participants of the assembly,' he said. The Federal Court had unanimously ruled that it is unconstitutional to criminalise the failure to notify the police five days in advance of holding a peaceful assembly. Outgoing Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat, delivering the decision of a five-member panel, said Section 9(5) of the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012 imposes a punishment that exceeds the limits permitted under Article 10(1)(b) of the Federal Constitution. Article 10(1)(b) guarantees the freedom of speech, assembly, and association. She said the section was 'a disproportionate intervention' and amounted to a prohibition rather than a restriction of that right. The decision stemmed from a constitutional challenge brought by former Muda secretary-general Amir Hadi, who was charged in 2022 with failing to give the police five days' notice before organising a protest outside the Sogo shopping complex in Kuala Lumpur. Home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said yesterday that his ministry would examine the Federal Court's ruling. The ministry is expected to table an amendment to Section 11 of the Act, which requires organisers of assemblies to obtain the consent of the location's owner or occupier, at the next parliamentary sitting. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
New Straits Times
01-07-2025
- Politics
- New Straits Times
No reason to charge organisers who fail to give notice on assemblies, say lawyers
KUALA LUMPUR: There is no reason to haul people to court for failing to provide prior notification for assemblies, legal experts have said. After the Federal Court declared that Section 9(5) of the Peaceful Assemblies Act 2012 was unconstitutional, the police must abide by this ruling, said former co-chair of the Bar Council Human Rights Committee and Constitutional Law Committee Andrew Khoo. "The problem is that in the past, there have been occasions where law enforcement agencies have ignored court orders with can never and no longer be the case. "What this decision affirms is the constitutional right to freedom of peaceful assembly," he said. Constitutional lawyer Joshua Wu said that there were conflicting decisions prior to the Federal Court's ruling yesterday. "The cases of Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad v PP and PP v Yuneswaran Ramaraj (at the Court of Appeal) – Section 9(5) of the PAA 2012 was held to be unconstitutional in Nik Nazmi's case, but was held to be constitutional in Yuneswaran's case," he said. Consequently, the police continued to use Section 9(5) against organisers of public assemblies who did not give the police the five days notice required under Section 9(1) of the Act, he said. "There will no longer be criminal sanctions or prosecutions for non-compliance with Section 9(1) of the Act. This will consequently open the doors for more public assemblies to be organised, particularly on short notice," he said. He explained the Federal Constitution only allowed for parliament to introduce "restrictions" and not "prohibitions", which was why Section 9(5) of the PAA 2012 was deemed unconstitutional. International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) constitutional expert Associate Professor Datuk Dr Wan Ahmad Fauzi Wan Husain, however, said local authorities must provide a space to assemble under Section 9(2) of the Act to allow operating Section 9(5). "Article 10 already imposes a limitation to a public assembly besides other constitutional restrictions. "That is why curtailing the freedom to a peaceful assembly without providing or stipulating a place can be an unproportionate balance of restrictions under Article 10. The question here is, does Section 9 provide such reasonable restrictions?" he asked. He added that subsection (5) must be read with subsection (2) of the provision. "Reading the above sections, the right approach is that the local authority must provide an assembly place under Section 9(2) before enforcing Section 9(5). "Therefore, the issue is whether Section 9(5) can be enforced by the authorities in the case before the court. In my opinion, a constitutionality issue does not arise," he said. Yesterday, the Federal Court declared it unconstitutional to criminalise the failure to notify the police five days in advance before holding a peaceful assembly. Delivering the unanimous decision by a five-member bench, Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat said Section 9(5) of the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012 imposed a penalty that went beyond what was allowed under Article 10(1)(b) of the Federal Constitution, which guaranteed the freedom of speech, assembly and association.
