Sungai Besar UMNO division chief Datuk Seri Jamal Md Yunos is seeking to strike out a suit filed against him by former Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change Minister Yeo Bee Yin in connection with the Yayasan Warisan Anak Selangor (Yawas) fund.

Yeo's lawyer, Datuk Sankara Nair who confirmed the matter, said Jamal filed the application to strike out the suit last June 25 on grounds that it was premature as investigations by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) was still going on.

"The court fixed July 23 to hear the striking out application," he told the media after the case management, held in chambers before High Court Judge Datuk Rozana Ali Yusof today.

The lawyer said the judge also fixed Nov 9 to hear the suit, in the event that the court dismissed the striking out bid.

Jamal was represented by lawyer Mohamad Fauzi Abdul Samad.

Yeo filed the suit on June 14, 2017, seeking RM5mil in compensation from Jamal for his defamatory statement over the alleged abuse of the Yawas fund.

In the statement of claim, Yeo, who is also Bakri MP, claimed that Jamal had issued a defamatory statement on March 21, 2017, and that the statement was also published by several newspapers, news portals and on Jamal’s Facebook account.

Yeo claimed that Jamal’s statement, among others, gave the impression that she had abused public fund for personal use and painted her as an unethical and unreliable person.

Apart from RM5mil in general damages, Yeo is also seeking compensatory, aggravated and exemplary damages and an injunction to prevent Jamal from repeating the allegations.

-- BERNAMA