THE Kuala Lumpur High Court will on July 23 hear Jamal Yunos’ application to strike out a RM5 million defamation suit filed against him by DAP lawmaker Yeo Bee Yin.

Lawyer Sankara Nair, representing Yeo, told reporters this after today’s case management, which was held in chambers before judge Rozana Ali Yusof.

“The defendant has filed an application to strike out our case on the basis that there is an MACC (Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission) investigation going on and therefore, this application to sue is premature,” he said.

The high court has also fixed November 9 to 13 for the trial, should the strike out fail.

Jamal, who is Sg Besar Umno chief, filed the application on June 25. Lawyer Mohamad Fauzi Abdul Samad who appeared for Jamal, did not speak to the press.

On June 14, 2017, Yeo sued, seeking RM5 million in compensation from Jamal for his defamatory statement over the alleged abuse of funds from Yayasan Warisan Anak Selangor (Yawas).

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

Yeo, who previously helmed the Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change Ministry in the Pakatan Harapan government, said Jamal’s statement, among others, gave the impression that she had abused public funds for personal use and painted her as an unethical and unreliable person.

Apart from RM5 million of general damages, Yeo is also seeking compensatory, aggravated and exemplary damages and an injunction to prevent Jamal from repeating his allegations. – July 8, 2020.