Court To Hear Zuraida S Appeal Against Order To Pay Pkr Rm10m In July

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The Court of Appeal has set July 1 next year to hear former PKR vice-president Zuraida Kamaruddin’s appeal to quash a ruling for her to pay RM10 million to the ruling party for defecting after clinching the Ampang parliamentary seat for the third time in the 14th general election.
Counsel Navpreet Singh, who acts for the respondent PKR, confirmed this morning on the appellate court hearing date.
“Following the case management at the Court of Appeal on Monday before deputy registrar Mariam Hasamah Othman, the appeal hearing is scheduled to be heard by the Court of Appeal on July 1, 2024.
“In the meantime, parties have been directed to submit their respective written submissions, which are to be filed before the hearing,” Navpreet told Malaysiakini.
Zuraida’s appeal is against a civil court order on June 23 that allowed PKR’s RM10 million bond lawsuit against the former minister, who lost the parliamentary seat to her former party colleague Rodziah Ismail during GE15 last year.
On that date, judge Akhtar Tahir of the High Court in Kuala Lumpur also ordered the former Ampang MP to pay RM50,000 in costs to PKR.
During the trial on March 29, PKR secretary-general and Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail testified that Zuraida (above) won the Ampang seat as she contested under the party’s banner rather than the strength of her character.
On March 30, Zuraida testified that she did not know the details of the RM10 million bond as she was allegedly forced to sign it prior to contesting.
Zuraida, along with 10 other MPs led by former PKR deputy president Azmin Ali, left the party in February 2020 to support Bersatu, Umno-BN, and GPS in forming Perikatan Nasional.
The alliance was formed following the Sheraton Move political coup that led to the downfall of the then-Pakatan Harapan administration.
In September of that same year before the High Court in Kuala Lumpur, PKR filed the civil action to demand RM10 million over her leaving the party.
In May last year, Zuraida left Bersatu to join Parti Bangsa Malaysia (PBM). In December last year, she and 10 other PBM members were sacked amid a leadership struggle with incumbent president Larry Sng.
Earlier this year, Zuraida was selected as deputy president of NGO Muafakat Nasional.
In GE15, PKR’s Rodziah won Ampang by 29,681 votes, defeating Zuraida (PBM), Ivone Low (MCA), Sasha Lyna (PN), Dr Nurul Ashikin (Pejuang), and Bryan Lai (Warisan), as well as three independents.
Zuraida was housing and local government minister from 2018 to 2021 and then plantation industries and commodities minister from 2021 to last year.
- Mkini

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