austlii:cth/FedCFamC2G/2025/1552
General information, not legal advice.
FedCFamC2G
2025-09-25
Original judgment source is linked above.
Note: The form of the order is subject to the entry in the Court's records.
Note: The Court may vary or set aside a judgment or order to remedy minor typographical or grammatical errors (r 24.04(g) Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (Division 2) (General Federal Law) Rules 2025 (Cth)) or to record a variation to the order pursuant to r 24.04 (Cth).
(a) allocated to the Court as presently constituted on 28 July 2025;
(b) listed for hearing on 31 July 2025; and
(c) heard on 18 September 2025; proceeding in person at the Court's Melbourne Registry.
(1) the Applicant was a volunteer of Sabah Sarawak Union- United Kingdom (SSU-UK) and collected signatures for a United Nations petition which impelled the British Government to review the validation of the 1963 Malaysian Agreement;
(2) human right abuses have occurred in Malaysia, due to violation and ignorance of the 1963 Malaysian Agreement;
(3) the Applicant did not have basic rights such as freedom of expression and speech;
(4) the Applicant was threatened and accused of being secessionist. She was threatened by the Malaysian government and some volunteers were charged under the Sedition Act 1948 for collecting petition signatures and calling for Sabah Sarawak rights;
(5) the Malaysian government administered ethnic cleansing by allowing illegal immigrants from the Philippines to enter Sabah, provided they were willing to convert to Islam and vote for the ruling party;
(6) she could not relocate due to the racist environment and discrimination throughout Malaysia;
(7) Sabah was no longer safe as the natives were victims of various crimes caused by the illegal immigrants such as robbery, fighting and sexual abuse. Police reports were made, but little action was taken; and
(8) the authorities in Malaysia would not protect people like her who were against the Malaysian government.
(1) the applicant provided vague detail and no evidence to support her claims that she was
involved in SSU-UK movement or volunteered for collecting petition signatures in Malaysia;
(2) the Applicant did not give any timeframe for the activities she was supposedly involved in;
(3) her claims of illegal migration may have been true, however her claims that the Malaysian government was converting those illegal immigrants to 'Islam' and giving them identity card for their vote in favour of the ruling party was not substantiated by any evidence or country information. On the contrary, the majority of the illegal immigrants were already Muslim;
(4) there was not a known widespread political or criminal threat in the Sabah province;
(5) country information indicated that though there were cases of political persecution reported in Malaysia, it was generally targeted towards the high-profile opposition leaders. General opposition party members were able to undertake political activities and were not at risk of official discrimination on a day-to-day basis;
(6) the Applicant claimed she would be subjected to racial discrimination if she relocated to another part of Malaysia but did not detail any prior experience of persecution, threat or harm in Malaysia due to her race;
(7) the Applicant departed Malaysia without hindrance from the authorities which suggested that she was not of adverse interest to the Malaysian authorities;
(8) the Applicant was not at risk of harm from the Malaysian authorities or anyone else in Malaysia for reasons of her political activities or for any other reason;
(9) there was no real chance of persecution for one or more of the reasons
mentioned in s5J(1)(a) of the Migration Act 1958 (Cth) (Act); and
(10) the applicant's circumstances did not give rise to a real risk that she would be subjected to any form of significant harm.
In conducting the review, we are required by the Migration Act 1958 to invite you to comment on or respond to certain information which we consider would, subject to your comments or response, be the reason, or a part of the reason, for affirming the decision under review.
Please note, however, that we have not made up our mind about the information.
The particulars of the information are:
The information is that the Tribunal has received around 70 review applications (including yours), from applicants whose protection visa applications contain very similar claims to your protection claims in key respects. Specifically your claim that you volunteer for the Sabah Sarawak Union - United Kingdom (SSU-UK) organisation to collect signatures to send to the United Nations to ask the British Government to review the validity of the "Malaysia Agreement 1963"
This information is relevant to the review because, subject to your comments, it may indicate that you have not been truthful about your claims to have volunteered with the SSU-UK, given the implausibility of 70 or so other protection visa applicants having very similar claims. If so, this would lead the Tribunal to not accept your claims to have volunteered with the SSU-UK and it would not be satisfied that you face a well-founded fear of persecution on return to Malaysia or face a real risk of significant harm if removed from Australia to Malaysia on this basis. If so, this would be the reason, or part of the reason, for affirming the decision under review.
(a) the Applicant did not express any fears of returning to Malaysia due to her involvement with the SSU-UK, and her evidence confirmed she had not received any threats or complaints from the Malaysian authorities since she was involved in the group;
(b) the Applicant did not have a real chance of serious harm arising from her membership of the SSU-UK for any of the convention reasons in s 5J(1)(a) or any other claimed reasons, if she were to return to Malaysia;
(c) the Applicant did not have a real chance of serious harm arising from her economic circumstances for the convention reasons in s 5J(1)(a) or any other claimed reasons, if she were to return to Malaysia; and
(d) there was no risk that the Applicant would be significantly harmed upon return to Malaysia.
(1) that the decision of the Second Respondent dated 6 April 2018 (Administrative Appeals Tribunal number 1707567) be set aside; and
(2) that the matter be remitted to the Second Respondent for reconsideration according to law.
The First Respondent concedes that the decision of the Second Respondent (Tribunal) dated 6 April 2018 is affected by jurisdictional error on the basis that the Tribunal failed to address one of the Applicant's claims, namely her claim in her original Visa application that it "is no longer safe in Sabah as the natives in Sabah have been exposed to various criminal activities/issues caused by illegal immigrant such as robbery, fighting, sexual abuse and kidnapping", which amounts to jurisdictional error (see Htun v Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs (2001) 194 ALR 244; NABE v Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs (2004) 144 FCR 1).[16]
(c) in relation to the Applicant's claims of being an ethnic Kadazan and a Christian, noted the Applicant had not claimed to fear harm for either reason, was not satisfied she would be denied employment for either reason, was satisfied her capacity to subsist would not be threatened due to discrimination, and found she did not face a real chance of serious harm on the basis of her ethnicity or religion;
(d) in relation to the Applicant's claims in relation to her involvement with the SSU-UK:
- accepted she had been a member of the SSU-UK in Malaysia and had signed a petition calling for the conferral of rights on the indigenous population of Sabah and Sarawak;
- found the Applicant had not experience any harm, threats, or discrimination due to her activities with the SSU-UK, found she had not undertaken any significant or highly public activities in Australia and that there was no formal record of her membership to the Australia SSU-UK party, found nothing had happened to her as a result of her involvement in the SSU-UK and that it was unlikely she was recorded as a member or that her involvement was known by the authorities, but that even if her involvement was or became known, she had such an extremely low profile the Tribunal was not satisfied she would face a real chance of serious harm as a result;
- considered country information that indicated most lower level, and even higher profile, activists who faced charges had those charges dropped, and country information which suggested the new government had a less authoritarian approach to Sabah Sarawak activists and that low profile individuals faced a low risk of official discrimination; and
- was not satisfied the Applicant would face a real chance of serious harm due to her involvement with the SSU-UK.
(e) in relation to the Applicant's claims of economic hardship, accepted the Applicant's earnings in Malaysia might be lower than what she could earn in Australia, but was not satisfied there was a real chance she would be denied the capacity to earn a livelihood or that her capacity to subsist would be threatened;
(f) in relation to the Applicant's claims of harm in relation to illegal immigrants or crime in Sabah, considered that country information suggested there had been an increase in immigration by Muslims into Sabah, and that while petty crime was common, violent crime was relatively uncommon with the exception of high risk kidnapping in Eastern Sabah. The Tribunal noted the Applicant's evidence was that she is from Western Sabah, such that the Tribunal was not satisfied she faced a real chance of serious harm at the hands of immigrants, noting it did not consider "petty crime" to amount to serious harm. Additionally, the Tribunal found that any risk that existed was shared by the population in general;
(g) considered the Applicant's claims individually and cumulatively and was not satisfied she faced a real chance of serious harm for any reason, and did not meet the criterion in s 36(2)(a) of the Act; and
(h) considered the Applicant's claims with reference to the complementary protection criterion and found, for the same reasons, that the Applicant was not at a real risk of significant harm if returned to Malaysia, and did not meet the requirements in s 36(2)(aa) of the Act.
Leave is granted to the Applicant to amend her application for judicial review,
filed 22 July 2019, to include a final order that a writ of mandamus be directed to
the Tribunal requiring them to determine the Applicant's application according to
law.
(a) Applicant to file any amended application with proper particulars, written submissions and further evidence at least 28 days before the hearing; and
(b) Minister to file any written submissions and further evidence in reply at least 14 days before the hearing.
(a) the application for judicial review filed 22 July 2019;
(b) a Court Book numbering 371 pages filed 16 December 2021 (marked as Exhibit R1); and
(c) an outline of written submissions filed by the Minister on 4 September 2025.
(1) where the decision-maker identifies the wrong issue or asks the wrong question;[26]
(2) where the decision-maker ignores relevant material;[27]
(3) where the decision-maker relies on irrelevant material;[28]
(4) where the decision-maker fails to follow mandatory procedures;[29]
(5) where the decision-maker shows actual or apprehended bias;[30] and
(6) where the decision is illogical, irrational or unreasonable.[31]
THE ROLE OF THE COURT IN JUDICIAL REVIEW PROCEEDINGS
a) why she believes the Tribunal made a jurisdictional error; and > > b) each of the four grounds of review.
*** The Affidavit Reason after my second Tribunal Hearing on the 2 May 2019 are as follows:**
*** We would like to seek attention from the Australian Government (as one of the Commonwealth Country) to get justice on our MA63 Agreement which being violating by the Federal Government of Malaysia. To this date still not being materialised.**
*** Issue of Sabah illegal immigrants: * Influx of illegal immigrants had contribute to include crimes in Sabah (such as robbery, murder, kidnapping all happen lately) * Recent cases of a grab local (Kadazan-Dusun) driver been killed over a robbery * Illegal fish bombing which killed 3 persons also been done by illegal immigrants**
15. ... the Tribunal was cognisant of the details of this claim, having accurately summarised the Applicant's claims for protection and discussed those claims with her during the hearing: CB306 [17], 315 [56]. The Tribunal explicitly considered the Applicant's claim to fear harm from illegal immigrants and was not satisfied she faced a real chance of serious harm (nor a real risk of significant harm) for that reason in the context of the country information before it. Moreover, the Tribunal correctly observed that any risk of harm arising out of this claim was a risk experienced by the population generally.
(1) it had not made a decision about her application;
(2) the Minister is seeking costs in the event that it is successful;
(3) in deciding the question of costs, the Court is required to consider:
(a) whether it is appropriate that the Applicant should pay any costs at all, noting that the usual rule in courts in Australia is that an unsuccessful party pays the party/party costs of the successful party; and
(b) if the Court is so satisfied that the Applicant should pay costs, what is the reasonable quantum.
I certify that the preceding seventy-two (72) numbered paragraphs are a true copy of the Reasons for Judgment of Judge Johns.
[26] Craig v State of South Australia [1995] HCA 58; (1995) 184 CLR 163, 198.
[27] Craig v State of South Australia [1995] HCA 58; (1995) 184 CLR 163, 198.
[28] Craig v State of South Australia [1995] HCA 58; (1995) 184 CLR 163, 198.
[29] SAAP v Minister for Immigration & Multicultural & Indigenous Affairs & Anor [2005] HCA 24; (2005) 228 CLR 294, [207]-[208].
[30] SZRUI v Minister for Immigration, Multicultural Affairs & Citizenship [2013] FCAFC 80, [2].
[31] Minister for Immigration & Citizenship v SZMDS (2010) 240 CLR 611, [131]; Minister for Immigration & Citizenship v Li [2012] HCA 61; (2013) 249 CLR 332, [26]-[28]; Minister for Immigration & Border Protection v Singh [2014] FCAFC 1; (2014) 231 FCR 437, [44].
[32] Minister for Immigration & Ethnic Affairs v Wu Shan Liang (1996) 185 CLR 259, 272.
[33] [2019] FCA 600 at [7].
[35] Plaintiff S157/2002 v Commonwealth [2003] HCA 2; (2003) 211 CLR 476.
[36] Djokovic v Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs (2022) 289 FCR 21 Allson CJ, Besanko and O'Callaghan JJ at [17].
[37] Plaintiff S157/2002 v Commonwealth [2003] HCA 2; (2003) 211 CLR 476.
[38] LPDT v Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs [2024] HCA 12; (2024) 418 ALR 152 (LPDT) at [3].
[39] Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs v Yusuf (2001) 2006 CLR 323 at [82].
[41] Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs v Yusuf (2001) 206 CLR 323 at 351 at [82].
[43] MZAPC v Minister for Immigration and Border Protection (2021) 273 CLR 506 per Kiefel CJ, Gageler, Keane and Gleeson JJ at [38].
[44] Nathanson v Minister for Home Affairs [2022] HCA 26; (2022) 276 CLR 80 per Kiefel CJ, Keane and Gleeson JJ (at [33]).
[45] Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs v Eshetu (1999) 197 CLR 611; [1999] HCA 21 at [40].
[46] Minister for Immigration v SZIAI [2009] HCATrans 165; (2009) 259 ALR 429 at [18]- [25], Applicant VEAL of 2002 v Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs [2005] HCA 72; (2005) 225 CLR 88 and Prasad v Minister for Immigration & Ethnic Affairs (1985) 6 FCR 155.
[47] Minister for Immigration and Citizenship v SZJSS [2010] HCA 48; (2010) 243 CLR 164 at [33] and Abebe v Commonwealth of Australia (1999) 197 CLR 510 at [197].
[48] Federal Circuit and Family Court (Division 2) (General Federal Law) Rules 2025 (Cth) sch 2 pt 3 div 1.
CVP19
Minister for Immigration and Citizenship [2025] FedCFamC2G 1552
Applicant VEAL of 2002 v Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs [2005] HCA 72; (2005) 225 CLR 88
Bala v Minister for Immigration & Border Protection [2019] FCA 600
LPDT v Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs [2024] HCA 12; (2024) 418 ALR 152
Minister for Immigration & Border Protection v Singh [2014] FCAFC 1; (2014) 231 FCR 437
Minister for Immigration & Citizenship v Li [2012] HCA 61; (2013) 249 CLR 332
Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs v Eshetu [1999] HCA 21; (1999) 197 CLR 611
Minister for Immigration and Citizenship v SZJSS [2010] HCA 48; (2010) 243 CLR 164
Nathanson v Minister for Home Affairs [2022] HCA 26; (2022) 276 CLR 80
Plaintiff S157/2002 v Commonwealth [2003] HCA 2; (2003) 211 CLR 476
(1999) 197 CLR 510
(2005) 225 CLR 88
(2022) 289 FCR 21
(2024) 418 ALR 152
(2009) 259 ALR 429
(2014) 231 FCR 437
(2013) 249 CLR 332
(2010) 240 CLR 611
(1996) 185 CLR 259
(1999) 197 CLR 611
(2010) 243 CLR 164
(2001) 2006 CLR 323
(2021) 273 CLR 506
(2022) 276 CLR 80
(2003) 211 CLR 476
(1985) 6 FCR 155
(2001) 194 ALR 244
(2004) 144 FCR 1
(1995) 184 CLR 163
(2005) 228 CLR 294
(2001) 206 CLR 323