A couple failed in their bid to strike out the suit of the late Tun Ghafar Baba's ex-wife, D.Heryati Abdul Rahim, who is claiming damages amounting to RM1 million due to a breach of contract in property ownership.

High Court Judge Datuk Hue Siew Keng rejected the application from Tan Sri Lau Ban Tin and wife, Puan Sri Mary Lee Siew Cheng, and ordered the suit be heard through a full trial.

The judgment was read by Senior Assistant Registrar V. Vanitha at her chambers, in the presence of counsel M. Eoghan, representing D. Heryati as the plaintiff, and lawyer Low Peck Lim, representing the defendant.

Moghan, when met by reporters said the court had set Jan 6 and 7 next year, for the trial.

He said the court also set Oct 21 for case management.

On Feb 5, D. Heryati sued Lau and Lee, naming them as the first and second defendants.

In her statement of claim, D. Heryati alleged Lau and Lee failed to transfer the ownership of eight hectares of land in Jelebu to her based on an agreement done on June 20, 2000.

D. Heryati claimed that at the time, she was still the wife of the former deputy prime minister and co-owned shares with him in the company Zamrudvest Sdn Bhd, which operated a franchise under the 'EON Dealers and Franchise'.

She said that around the year 2000, she and Ghafar decided to sell the business to the defendant at RM300,000, but it did not include the sale of land in Jelebu (owned by the company), and the land should have been transferred to her name as soon as the individual grant was issued.

However, D. Heryati claimed that based on official land office records, it (the land) was transferred to Lau on Feb 19 2004, and on April 16 2013, to Tengku Ramli Tengku Mohd Kamil.

She demanded that Lau return the ownership of the land, or alternatively, pay her damages amounting to RM1 million.