THE Court of Appeal has set September 22 to hear an appeal by Terengganu’s Sultanah Nur Zahirah against the High Court’s decision to dismiss her suit against Sarawak Report editor Clare Rewcastle Brown and two others for allegedly defaming her.

Her lawyer, Mohd Haaziq Pillay, confirmed the date to Bernama following a case management today before Court of Appeal deputy registrar Zuhrina Mohamed Nor.

On October 31 last year, High Court judicial commissioner Dr John Lee Kien How @ Mohd Johan dismissed Sultanah Nur Zahirah’s law suit against Rewcastle Brown, publisher Gerakbudaya Enterprise and printer Vinlin Press Sdn Bhd. 

The judicial commissioner ruled that there were no defamatory statements in the Rewcastle Brown book titled “The Sarawak Report-The Inside 1MDB Expose”.

Sultanah Nur Zahirah then filed an appeal to the Court of Appeal on November 7 last year against the High Court’s decision.

On November 21, 2018, Sultanah Nur Zahirah sued Rewcastle Brown, Gerakbudaya and Vinlin Press claiming RM100 million in general damages from each of them and also seeking for an order for the publisher to withdraw the book containing the alleged defamatory statement and for the printer to stop printing the book.

Sultanah Nur Zahirah claimed that the statement, among others, meant that she was involved in corruption and interfered 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 Bhd (1MDB).

She contended the statement meant she had helped Low Taek Jho to become a TIA adviser.

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

Rewcastle Brown also claimed Sarawak Report had never suggested that the Terengganu sultanah was involved in a conspiracy involving Low and had never suggested that she was involved in the government’s administration relating to 1MDB affairs. – Bernama, May 12, 2023.