T’gganu Sultanah seeks apology, RM100 mln in damages from Sarawak Report editor, two others

PETALING JAYA: The Sultanah of Terengganu, Sultanah Nur Zahirah, has send letters of demand to the founder and editor of The Sarawak Report, Clare RewcastleBrown, and two others, seeking written apology and RM100 million in damages from each of them in relation to defamatory statements in a book “The Sarawak Report:The Inside Story of the 1MDB Expose”.

Lawyer Datuk Mohd Haaziq Abdullah, representing the sultanah, said the letters of demand were served on Clare, local publisher Gerakbudaya Enterprise and printer Vinlin Press Sdn Bhd on Thursday.

They were given eight days from Sept 27 to make a full written, unequivocal public retraction, as well as written apology in terms to be approved by Sultanah Nur Zahirah’s lawyers, he added.

He said Clare was also required to give an undertaking not to repeat the defamatory statements , while the companies were also required to withdraw the book which contained the defamatory statements against the sultanah from sale and circulation.

“The legal action has nothing to do with Rewcastle-Brown’s book on1MDB. We are only concerned about Page 3 in the book that contains defamatory statements,” he told a press conference held at a hotel yesterday.

The statements were deemed defamatory as Sultanah Nur Zahirah had never interfered in government affairs, he said, adding that the letters of demand were send to the three parties to protect the sultanah’s integrity and interests, as well as to safeguard the good name of the Terengganu royal Institution.

“Her Royal Highness was never involved with the establishment of Terengganu Investment Authority (TIA) and sovereign wealth fund and she never supported Jho Low in obtaining the advisory in TIA,” he added.

He said Sultanah Nur Zahirah did not know Jho Low and her knowledge of him was based on media reports.

Mohd Haaziq said the imputation of Rewcastle-Brown’s statements meant or were understood to mean that the sultanah was involved in corrupt practice, associated and had close ties with persons with questionable character, namely Jho Low.

The statements by RecastleBrown were unjustified, baseless and had aspects of insult which had caused distress, embarrassment and injury to the reputation of Sultanah Nur Zahirah, he added.

He said a police report on the matter was lodged by the Comptroller of the Terengganu Royal Household Datuk Mohd Azmi Mohamad Daham on Sept 14.

Mohd Haaziq said his client was seeking RM100 million in damages and that any award by the court would be donated to charity.

“It is not about the money, but to protect her integrity and interests, and safeguard the good name of the Terengganu royal Institution,” he said.

On the apology made by Clare which was posted on the Sarawak Report website on Thursday, Mohd Haaziq said it was not an apology. - Bernama