Sept 10 Hearing For Sultanah S Application On Suit Against Sarawak Report Editor

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Sarawak Report editor Clare Rewcastle Brown.KUALA LUMPUR: Terengganu Sultanah Nur Zahirah’s 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, Haziq Pillay Abdullah, disclosed this to reporters after case management of the suit in chambers before High Court judge 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
“The judge gave an order for the defendant to file the affidavit today and the plaintiff is allowed to reply,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,” he said
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 after which the judge will set a date for the decision,” he said
Sultanah Nur Zahirah filed the application for her suit to be decided by summary judgment on May 27 under Order 14A of the Rules of Court 2012
On Nov 21 last year, she sued Rewcastle 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
She 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 Low Taek Jho, or Jho Low, or to become the adviser for TIA
Sultanah Nur Zahirah contended that she had never involved herself in the administration of Terengganu state and establishment of TIA and therefore the statement had slandered and tarnished her reputation

She is claiming general damages of RM100 million from each defendant and seeking an order for Chong to withdraw the book containing the defamatory statement and for Vinlin Press to stop further printing of the book. - FMT

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