KUALA LUMPUR – Former Malaysian Cricket Association (MCA) president Mohammed Iqbal Ali Kassim Ali has moved to strike out a civil suit filed against him and his executive committee, arguing that the case was brought prematurely and has since become irrelevant.
The application stems from a prolonged leadership dispute within the MCA that began in 2024, centred on disagreements over alleged resignations, the validity of an extraordinary general meeting and who legitimately held the posts of president and deputy president.
One faction claimed that Iqbal had vacated his position, while another disputed the process used to declare the vacancy, saying it breached the association’s constitution. The disagreement later escalated into a civil suit seeking a court declaration on Iqbal’s status.
However, Iqbal’s legal team argued that the matter should never have reached the courts in the first place, as disputes within national sports bodies fall under the authority of the Sports Commissioner under the Sports Development Act 1997.
After a hearing at the Jalan Duta High Court, Iqbal’s counsel Datuk Seri Rajan Navaratnam said the plaintiffs had failed to exhaust mandatory internal remedies before filing the suit.
“Under Section 23 of the Sports Development Act, this dispute should first be resolved internally,” he said.
He added that the Sports Commissioner has the power to investigate issues such as the validity of resignations, whether the EGM was conducted properly and whether the MCA constitution was complied with.
Rajan said the suit also no longer serves any practical purpose, as the MCA leadership term in question ended on April 27, 2025.
“The declaration they are seeking, that he is no longer president or deputy president, is no longer a live issue,” he said, adding that the case had become academic.
The defence is seeking to strike out the suit in its entirety, arguing that it is both premature and an abuse of court process.
The High Court will continue hearing submissions on February 3, after which a decision is expected.
Rajan said while disputes are not uncommon in sports administration, the law is clear that internal mechanisms must be fully exhausted before court action can be taken.
“This is a legal requirement, not a choice,” he said, adding that the MCA dispute has now become a test case on governance, procedure and the limits of judicial intervention in national sports bodies.– January 11, 2026