Rewcastle-Brown seeks to stay proceedings of Sultanah Nur Zahirah's defamation suit against her

KUALA LUMPUR: The hearing of a suit filed by Terengganu Sultanah Nur Zahirah against Clare Rewcastle-Brown and two others, scheduled to begin tomorrow, has been adjourned after the Sarawak Report editor filed an application to adjourn the case proceedings.

The matter was informed by lawyer Datuk Mohd Haaziq Pillay, representing Sultanah Nur Zahirah, when contacted by Bernama after the case management before Judicial Commissioner Dr John Lee Kien How @ Mohd Johan Lee, via video conference today.

Mohd Haaziq said the court had before this, fixed Dec 16, 17, 20 and 21 for the trial and his team was ready to call several witnesses to testify, including the plaintiff, Sultanah Nur Zahirah.

"However, the defendant (Rewcastle-Brown) applied for an adjournment of the proceedings and the court then fixed March 4, next year, to hear the application," said Mohd Haaziq, who was assisted by lawyers Vishnu Kumar and Manisha Sugunesegran.

Lawyer Mervyn Lai, representing Rewcastle-Brown, when contacted confirmed the matter.

Based on the notice of application filed through Messrs Tommy Thomas on Dec 13, Rewcastle-Brown applied for an order for the suit to be adjourned, pending the disposal of a criminal case faced by her in the Kuala Terengganu Magistrate's Court.

Rewcastle-Brown filed the application on grounds that there were similarities in the issues and facts regarding the two cases as these were related to the publication of the book "The Sarawak Report-The Inside Story of the 1MDB Expose".

Sultanah Nur Zahirah, who filed the suit on Nov 21, 2018, claimed that the defamatory statement, among others, meant that she was involved in corruption and interfering in the administration of the Terengganu government, besides using her status to influence the establishment of the Terengganu Investment Authority (TIA), later known as 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).

Sultanah Nur Zahirah also claimed that the statement meant that she had helped fugitive businessman Jho Low or Low Taek Jho to become a TIA advisor.

In their defence statements, the three defendants denied making allegations that the plaintiff was involved in corrupt practices.

Rewcastle-Brown also claimed that Sarawak Report had never suggested that the plaintiff was involved in a conspiracy involving Jho Low and had also never suggested that the plaintiff was involved in the government's administration related to 1MDB affairs.

-- BERNAMA