Three of Azmin Ali's children could not be served with writ of summons in RM329,000 travel bill suit

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KUALA LUMPUR (July 2): Three of Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali's children were unable to be served with a statement of claim naming them as defendants in their father's case over alleged non-payment of nearly RM329,000 in travel bills incurred by him and his family.

However, one of Azmin's children, 29-year-old Farah Shazliyana, who was named as the second defendant in the case, has been served, Sessions Court judge Nur Lailatul Zuraida was told today.

The suit by YHA Travel and Tours (M) Sdn Bhd was filed at the Sessions Court here on Nov 2 last year, through Messrs Fong Yap & Gan, on the grounds that Azmin, who is Senior Minister of International Trade and Industry, owes the travel agency for bills incurred by trips including his much-publicised Sandakan visit during the by-election there last year.

At the court today, the plaintiff filed an application for substituted service against Farah Afifah, 24, Farah Amira, 26, and Mohamed Ameer Shazrin, 28, as the third, fourth and fifth defendants respectively as they were not able to be served; however, no reasons were given for the failure to serve.

Adam Yap was acting on behalf of YHA while lawyer Shahid Adli Kamarudin acted for Azmin.

The judge then set July 22 to hear the application.

According to YHA's statement of claim that was sighted by theedgemarkets.com through a file search, Azmin had been a customer of the travel agency for 20 years.

The company claimed the former PKR deputy president would normally settle his bills within three to four months but in this instance, the payments have been outstanding for far longer.

It was referring to trips made between Sept 10, 2018 and Aug 5 last year.

They included family trips to Marrakech, London, Jakarta, the Gold Coast, Dubai, Geneva, Singapore, Bangkok, Barcelona, and Santorini, YHA said.

The company also provided the itineraries of Azmin's trips to Hanoi and Kota Kinabalu between Sept 14 and Sept 16, 2018, and to Sandakan on May 10 and May 11 last year, which was during the Sandakan by-election.

The amended writ stated that plaintiff YHA is seeking payment of RM328,901 from first defendant Azmin.

The cause paper stated that in the alternative, YHA seeks an order for Azmin to pay RM167,332, Farah Syazliyana to pay RM8,510, Farah Afifah to pay RM3,880, Farah Amira to pay RM6,400, and Mohamed Ameer Shazrin to pay RM92,280, as well as interests from all five defendants.

The company claimed it sent a letter of demand to Azmin on Aug 27 and another on Sept 30, but received no responses.

"Notwithstanding the repeated demands, the defendant had failed and neglected and refused to pay the amount stipulated," YHA said.

The company is seeking a judgment sum of RM328,901, plus interests and other relief deemed necessary by the court.