KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 11): Umno Selangor withdrew its application to strike out SRC International Sdn Bhd and its subsidiaries’ RM3.5 million recovery suit at the Shah Alam High Court on Thursday.

This came as Umno Selangor, which was represented by Datuk Hasnal Rezua Merican and Muzzamil Merican, conceded to the amendments that will be made to the name of the defendant in the suit filed by SRC International, and its subsidiaries Gandingan Mentari Sdn Bhd and Jendela Pinggiran Sdn Bhd.

Umno Selangor previously said the defendant should have been Badan Perhubungan Negeri Selangor and not Badan Perhubungan Umno Negeri Selangor, and that the plaintiffs had wrongly named the party.

SRC and its subsidiaries, who were represented by Syafinaz Vani and Clarence Hng Ying Hui, told the court that the name Badan Perhubungan Umno Negeri Selangor was retrieved from the Umno central website, and that they would apply to amend it to Badan Perhubungan Negeri Selangor.

“Umno’s website itself shows the entity as Badan Perhubungan Umno Negeri Selangor with Tan Sri Noh Haji Omar as the chairman and not the purported registered name (Badan Perhubungan Negeri Selangor).

“Thus, since the defendant (Umno Selangor) [has] now revealed that the actual branch is Badan Perhubungan Negeri Selangor, the plaintiff (SRC and subsidiaries) is allowed to file an application to amend the name of the defendant to reflect the same,” the plaintiff’s counsels said.

Following agreement by both parties to the amendment, Judicial Commissioner Tee Geok Hock on Thursday allowed the withdrawal of Umno Selangor’s striking out application.

“The application is struck out,” Tee said and made no order as to costs.

SRC and its subsidiaries Gandingan Mentari Sdn Bhd and Jendela Pinggiran Sdn Bhd, filed the lawsuit last May 7 against Umno Selangor via its chairman Tan Sri Noh Haji Omar and office bearers to recover RM3.5 million which it claimed was wrongly received by the Selangor branch of the Malay nationalist party from the three companies.

The suit was part of 16 suits filed by SRC against various entities over the loss of funds. There are also six suits filed by SRC's former parent company 1Malaysia Development Bhd against various individuals and entities, including former premier Datuk Seri Najib Razak.