Calling it “persecution”, the former Bar Council chair said it was “highly unusual and irregular” that PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang and his followers were seeking to conduct a “mini trial” in Malaysia on two paragraphs in Sarawak Report editor Clare Rewcastle-Brown’s defence in which she was specifically named.
“The forum for the proceedings in the UK was chosen by the claimant, Hadi Awang, as he is perfectly entitled to do.
“It is therefore in the UK court that any requests (or demands) for documents or information must be made.
“It is there that the responses to the serious allegations contained in the defence and counterclaim must be submitted. It is there that the trial will be held.
“In the UK. Not in Malaysia,” she said in a statement.
She was referring to Hadi’s defamation suit against Clare, filed at the London High Court in April following an article carried by The Sarawak Report on Aug 6 last year.
The article claimed RM90 million was “reckoned” to have entered the accounts of top PAS leaders to woo them into supporting Umno and Barisan Nasional
Clare, who filed her defence and counter-claim to a suit in response to Hadi’s defamation suit, said she and Ambiga spoke about Najib, 1MDB and PAS in July 2016.
“Ambiga had told the defendant that her sources, whom she said were reliable, had estimated the amount that had been paid was around RM90 million,” Clare said in her affidavit dated Oct 11.
Ambiga said over the last few days, she had faced “a barrage of attacks” from ministers, party members and others aligned with Hadi.
“In my view, these are targeted attacks of intimidation and harassment against me,” she said.
“They seriously undermine, and are disrespectful of, the UK proceedings and may in my view amount to a contempt of the UK court.
“As these acts may in one way or another be seen to be connected to the claimant, I believe he could be answerable to the UK court for them.”
She said those who had been condemning her should take their grievances to the UK court, where they could intervene in the proceedings and become parties if they felt strongly enough and had a case to put forward.
“There are more than two paragraphs in the defence and counterclaim. There are in total 36. There are serious allegations contained in them.
“Perhaps that should be the focus,” she added.
Lawyer: Applying pressure on Ambiga is interfering with a witness