SHAH ALAM (Dec 6): The High Court here on Wednesday granted a permanent injunction sought by Berjaya Land Bhd (BLand) and Berjaya Group founder Tan Sri Vincent Tan against Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor, which prohibits the PAS politician from repeating his comments with regard to the Selangor Maritime Gateway project until the disposal of the defamation suit against him.
The order was granted by Judicial Commissioner Choong Yeow Choy, after hearing submissions from Chuar Kia Lin and Lew Wei Shing, who appeared for the tycoon and BLand. Mohd Faizi Che Abu and Mohd Yusfarizal Yussoff represented Sanusi.
Chuar confirmed the outcome of the proceedings when contacted by The Edge.
The ex-parte injunction was initially granted on Aug 17, when the businessman and BLand had filed the suit against Sanusi for his comments.
The inter-partes injunction hearing was supposed to be heard earlier, but this was deferred, and the decision was made on Wednesday.
Chuar added that Choong fixed Dec 21 for case management by e-review to comply with pre-trial directions.
Tan and BLand filed the defamation suit against Sanusi on Aug 8, where the company and businessman are seeking general damages, compensatory damages, aggravated damages and exemplary damages.
They also sought an injunction to refrain Sanusi or his agents from making similar remarks in the future until the disposal of the suit.
They claimed that Sanusi’s comments had "pervaded and permeated into Tan’s family circle, further aggravating the mental trauma suffered by him and his family".
They also said that Sanusi’s comments are vindictive and malicious.
Tan, through his lawyers, claimed that Sanusi’s alleged defamatory comments imply that Tan is a corrupt person, a corrupt businessman, and a crony to Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari.
Tan claimed that the comments imply that he had benefited directly or indirectly, or received for free a piece of 600-acre (242.81-hectare) land, from the Selangor government.
Tan further claimed that Sanusi’s comments imply that he had given benefits to the Selangor government for the said land, and as such caused the state to incur losses of RM180 million.
Amirudin had also filed a separate defamation suit against Sanusi on the same matter.