Is Public Interest Litigation Becoming More Prevalent In Malaysia?

Public interest is a branch of administrative law which involves judicial review of administrative actions plays a pivotal role in an administrative state such as Malaysia, particularly in the promotion of good governance. In fact, in an administrative state, one of the benefits of public interest litigation will be its contribution towards improving the quality of public administration as well as the system of accountability and transparency in government decision-making¹. Providing a stimulus to the growth of a good public administration should in turn benefit the citizens as a whole in their dealings with public authorities².

In this regard, public interest litigation can bring greater awareness of the benefits of good governance to the public. It does not matter if an activist or NGO fails in their attempts to do so³. As public interest litigation actions often generate wide publicity, the impact of it in the minds of the public is sufficient to promote the