Lawyer Wong Rhen Yen, who is appearing for a liquidator, informed a five-member Federal Court bench that counsel Ahmad Ezmeel Ahmad Tarmizi, representing former Utusan Malaysia journalist Raja Syahrir Abu Bakar, was under quarantine for 14 days.
In a letter to Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat, which was sighted by FMT, Ezmeel said he had attended a wedding in Kuala Terengganu last week and had come in contact with a person who met Religious Affairs Minister Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri, who had been tested positive for Covid-19.
Wong said he also needed time to advise his client whether the matter could be resolved with the view of withdrawing the appeal against a suit filed by former Malaysian Bar president Manjeet Singh Dhillon.
Bench chairman Vernon Ong Lam Kiat, who allowed the application, said the matter was something unavoidable, and lawyer Americk Sidhu, who is appearing for Manjeet, had no objection.
He said the bench would hear the appeal on Dec 1 together with a similar matter brought by news portal Malaysiakini.
“The appeals have to be heard together because of an earlier instruction by the Federal Court,” said Ong.
Others on the bench were Abdul Rahman Sebli, Zaleha Yusof, Hasnah Mohammed Hashim and Rhodzariah Bujang.
Manjeet filed the defamation suit in 2011, naming former Padang Serai MP N Gobalakrishnan, Raja Syahrir, Utusan Melayu and TV3 as the defendants.
In 2015, the High Court ordered Gobalakrishnan to pay Manjeet RM150,000 in damages while Utusan Melayu and Raja Syahrir would have to pay RM200,000.
Manjeet’s appeal to the Court of Appeal against TV3 was allowed and the private broadcasting station was ordered to pay RM200,000 in damages.
The appellate court had in 2018 dismissed the appeals by Gobalakrishnan, Utusan Melayu and Raja Shahrir. TV3 did not appeal further.
Meanwhile, Malaysiakini had been granted leave by the Federal Court bench to challenge the Court of Appeal’s decision that found the portal’s reports on Raub Australian Gold Mining Sdn Bhd (RAGM) defamatory.
The Court of Appeal had found that three articles and two videos regarding villagers in Pahang’s Bukit Koman, whose health had been allegedly affected due to a gold mine owned by RAGM, were published in an accusatory and damaging tone.
Counsel Cyrus Das, James Khong and Syahredzan Johan represented Malaysiakini while lawyers Cecil Abraham and Sunil Abraham appeared for RAGM.