PKR’s counsel, Navpreet Singh, said the date was fixed at case management today before deputy registrar Syafiq Mustaza.

On Sept 23, a three-member appeals court panel chaired by Justice See Mee Chun heard submissions by the parties before fixing the matter for case management today to schedule a date for decision.

Also on the bench which heard the appeal were Justices Azman Abdullah and Ahmad Kamal Shahid.

At the hearing of the appeal, lawyer Azhar Harun, representing Zuraida, had contended that the RM10 million sum sought by PKR was “illusory and disproportionate”.

He also said PKR had failed to quantify the losses it suffered as a result of Zuraida’s departure from the party.

In reply, Ranjit Singh, representing PKR, said Zuraida, then the Ampang MP, had to pay the price for being disloyal to the party as she and 11 other PKR MPs were partly responsible for the collapse of the Pakatan Harapan government under Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

The appeal emanates from a judgment entered in PKR’s favour by the Kuala Lumpur High Court on June 23 last year in which Justice Akhtar Tahir ruled that the bond was a binding contract and therefore valid and enforceable.

He also ordered Zuraida to pay the party RM50,000 in costs.

The suit was filed on Sept 28, 2020 by Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, then PKR’s secretary-general.

In the statement of claim, Saifuddin said Zuraida had executed a bond that obliged her to pay the party the stipulated sum on the terms and conditions set out in the document.

Those terms required Zuraida to pay the party RM10 million within seven days if she wins a seat on PKR’s ticket but later resigns from the party, joins another political party or becomes an independent elected representative.

In her defence, Zuraida claimed she was forced to sign the bond to stand as a PKR candidate in the 14th general election in 2018.

However, Akhtar said Zuraida’s contention that she signed the bond under duress or coercion was baseless.