On 14th November 2025, the Shah Alam High Court allowed the Malaysian Dental Association (“MDA”)’s application for a declaration that, todate, its former President-Elect, Dr Mahendran a/l V. Ponnudurai (“Dr Mahendran”), is not eligible to contest as President-Elect of the MDA. This was because he had not completed 2 full terms in the MDA Council which was a pre-requisite to contest as President-Elect, as required under the MDA constitution.
This suit stems from a prolonged internal elections dispute within the MDA. Dr Mahendran had attempted to contest as President-Elect for the past 3 cycles. His candidacy was rejected in 2019 and 2021, on the basis that he did not fulfill the constitutional requirements. However, in 2023, his candidacy was accepted due to the Registrar of Society’s views that he had fulfilled the MDA Constitution requirements to run for President-Elect. Dr Mahendran then contested & won the President-Elect position in 2023.
Thereafter, the MDA Elections Committee, upon receiving a report from an Independent Task Force, had annulled Dr Mahendran’s election as President-Elect. The Elections Committee then called for nominations on the President-Elect position in the upcoming AGM on 30th June 2024.
Dr Mahendran then filed a claim at the Shah Alam High Court to seek an order that he was the legitimate President-Elect, and sought to injunct the contest for President-Elect in the above AGM. The High Court dismissed the injunction, and the AGM proceeded to elect Dr Chong Zhen Feng as the President-Elect.
Dr Mahendran then withdrew the suit on the basis that the matter had become academic. However, MDA proceeded with its counterclaim to obtain the declaratory reliefs above, on the basis that the same was crucial for the long-term stability of the society & for all parties moving forward.
Dr Mahendran resisted the counterclaim on the basis that the matter had become academic as a new President-Elect had been appointed, and that MDA was seeking declaratory reliefs on a hypothetical/speculative scenario as Dr Mahendran was no longer contesting in any ongoing elections for President-Elect.
In Her Ladyship’s brief oral grounds, Justice Dato’ Khadijah binti Idris found that MDA’s counterclaim was not academic, hypothetical or speculative, and allowed MDA’s declaratory reliefs with costs of RM5,000. This decision brings to close the long-running saga within the dental community.
Our Lim Wei Jiet & Nevyn Vinosh Venudran advised & acted for the MDA at all stages. The MDA is a premier society established in 1938 which represents the interests of private & public dental professionals across Malaysia.
