Umno lawyer Datuk Mohamad Hafarizam Harun says his former client, Datuk Hamidah Osman, only contacted his firm after court bailiffs sealed the belongings in her home after she lost a defamation suit. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, December 26, 2015.
Sacked Perak Umno leader Datuk Hamidah Osman, who was ordered to pay RM200,000 in damages and costs for defaming Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad, did not communicate with a legal firm despite several reminders to give instructions, lawyer Datuk Mohamad Hafarizam Harun said.
Speaking on behalf of the legal firm Hafarizam Wan & Aisha Mubarak, the lawyer said Khalid’s counsel Mohamed Hanipa Maidin had written to him in late July demanding payment.
“Hanipa also attached a sealed judgment of the court and said payment must be made within seven days,” he told The Malaysian Insider.
Hafarizam said the firm on August 3 sent Hamidah an email, followed by letters to obtain instructions but nothing was forthcoming.
“We just wanted to know if she wanted to pay the lump sum or in instalments, in order to negotiate with Khalid’s lawyer,” he said.
He said Hamidah only called him on Wednesday morning, after court bailiffs sealed the belongings in her home in Kampung Tersusun Jalan Gopeng, Batu Gajah, Perak.
“We have discharged our duty to the best of professional ability. However, there were no instructions from Hamidah.”
The Umno lawyer said this in response to Hamidah’s remark yesterday that she was going to engage a new lawyer after being poorly advised by Hafarizam.
However, The Malaysian Insider withheld Hafarizam’s identity pending a response from him.
The former Perak executive councillor and Wanita Umno division chief said she was not happy with the way her former counsel managed the defamation suit.
Hafarizam, who appeared for Hamidah during the trial, said she also did not give instructions whether to file an appeal in the Federal Court after the Court of Appeal reversed the findings of the High Court.
The Court of Appeal reversed its findings in December 2013, and ordered Hamidah to pay Khalid RM50,000 in costs.
High Court senior assistant registrar Firdaus Sidqi Shahril Azli, who made an assessment of damages, in April ordered Hamidah to pay Khalid RM150,000 in compensation.
Khalid sued the former Sungai Rapat assemblyman on December 23, 2011, over her blog post “Umat Islam perlu bersatu” (Muslims must unite).
Hamidah was sacked from Umno last month after she called for the resignation of party president Datuk Seri Najib Razak over the 1Malaysia Development Berhad scandal and the RM2.6 billion deposited into his bank accounts.
In September, Hamidah invited former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad to a dialogue in Ipoh.
- TMI
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