KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court here has fixed May 23 for hearing in a leave application to initiate judicial review by the two owners of Crackhouse Comedy Club.

They are seeking to overturn a permanent ban on them by Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) from registering any business in the capital.

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The date was set during case management before deputy registrar Firdaus Sidqi Sharil Azli here on Thursday (Jan 26).

When contacted, lawyer Harshaan Zamani confirmed the date.

The hearing is set for 9am on May 23 before Justice Amarjeet Singh.

Should leave be granted, the court will fix a separate date to hear submissions and consider the merits of the application.

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On Nov 27, Crackhouse Comedy Club owners Mohamad Rizal Johan Van Geyzel and Shankar R Santhiram filed the application for leave to challenge DBKL's permanent ban against them.

They named DBKL, Kuala Lumpur mayor Datuk Seri Mahadi Che Ngah, then Federal Territories deputy minister Datuk Seri Jalaluddin Alias, the then Federal Territories Ministry and the government as the first, second, third, fourth and fifth respondents, respectively.

They are seeking court declarations, including that DBKL’s decision to terminate Crackhouse Comedy Club’s business licence and to bar the duo from ever registering any further business in Kuala Lumpur is “illegal, unreasonable, irrational, invalid, unconstitutional and of no effect”.

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Rizal and Shankar are seeking exemplary and aggravated damages from the five respondents.

The ban came after Crackhouse Comedy was embroiled in a controversy over a performance by a female comedian that was said to have insulted Muslims.