KUALA LUMPUR: Terengganu Sultanah Nur Zahirah’s (pix) application for her defamation suit against Sarawak Report editor Clare Rewcastle Brown and two others to be disposed via summary judgment has been fixed for hearing on Sept 10.
Her lawyer, Datuk Haziq Pillay Abdullah disclosed this to reporters after case management of the suit in chambers before High Court judge Datuk Ahmad Zaidi Ibrahim, here today.
He said the defendants’ lawyer Americk Singh Sidhu also informed the court about receiving a supplementary affidavit-in-reply from London yesterday which would be filed today.
“So the judge gave an order for the defendant to file the affidavit today and the plaintiff is allowed to reply (affidavit) if necessary within two weeks.
“After that both parties will file their written submissions, the plaintiff on July 23 and the defendants on Aug 6.”
Haziq said the court also set Aug 20 for the plaintiff to file her written submission-in-reply.
“The application will be heard in open court on Sept 10 at 2.30pm after which the judge will set a date for the decision,” he added.
Sultanah Nur Zahirah filed the application for her suit to be decided by summary judgment on May 27 this year, under Order 14A of the Rules of Court 2012.
On Nov 21 last year, she sued Rewcastle Brown or Clare Louis Brown, Gerakbudaya Enterprise publisher Chong Ton Sin, and printer Vinlin Press Sdn Bhd, alleging that the first defendant made a disparaging statement about her in her book, The Sarawak Report-The Inside Story of the 1MDB Expose.
The plaintiff claimed the statement could be taken to mean that she was involved in corrupt practices and interfered in Terengganu’s administration besides using her status to influence the establishment of Terengganu Investment Authority (TIA), which later became 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).
She alleged the statement also construed her as having helped Jho Low, also known as Low Taek Jho, to become the adviser for TIA.
Sultanah Nur Zahirah contended that she had never involved herself in the administration of Terengganu state and the establishment of TIA, therefore the statement had slandered and tarnished her reputation.
She is claiming general damages of RM100 million from each defendant and is seeking an order for the second defendant (publisher) to withdraw the book containing the defamatory statement and for the third defendant to stop further printing of the book. - Bernama
