PETALING JAYA: A restraining order has been filed by Berjaya Corporation Bhd chairman and founder Tan Sri Vincent Tan against Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor in a defamation suit.
Tan’s lawyer Chuar Kia Lin told Malaysiakini that the ex-parte injunction application was allowed by the Shah Alam High Court, and a copy of the order has been served on Sanusi’s legal team.
Chuar also told the newsportal that the order would be in effect until next Friday.
It is also understood that Sanusi’s legal team would be allowed to counter-submit against Tan’s application for a continued restraining order, pending disposal of the main defamation suit.
On Aug 9, Tan and Berjaya Land Berhad filed a defamation suit against Sanusi at the Shah Alam High Court.
The case management has been set on Sep 4.
Tan and Berjaya Land claim that Sanusi had made a speech which was defamatory of them during his “Jelajah Mega PN Best” / “PN BEST Sayangi Kedah Sejahtera mega tour” election campaign on Aug 2 which was broadcast live to the public and republished on multiple social media channels including Astro Awani, Youtube Live Video, Astro Awani Facebook Live Video, TV PAS Facebook Live Video and KiniTV Youtube Video.
This significant legal development comes as a result of Sanusi’s failure to meet the requirements in a letter served on the caretaker Kedah MB on Aug 4 demanding a public apology and compensation of RM200 million over his defamatory and untrue accusations against Tan and Berjaya Land relating to the Selangor Maritime Gateway (“SMG”) project.
They claim that Sanusi’s defamatory statements have depicted them as, amongst others, a corrupt person/company and that they are the cronies of the caretaker Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari.
They further claim that Sanusi’s speech accused them of having directly/indirectly received a 600-acre parcel of free land from the Selangor government and that they have directly/indirectly given benefits to the Selangor MB in exchange for the free land.
Tan and Berjaya Land also claimed that Sanusi’s speech alleged that they had benefitted from the Selangor government through cronyism and nepotism as well as causing the Selangor state and its people to suffer at least RM180 million in losses.
On the defamation suit, Sanusi on Aug 11 said he will respond to a lawsuit when the notice arrives.
