The RM1 million defamation suit by Seputeh MP Teresa Kok against Sungai Besar Umno division chief Jamal Md Yunos is set for a decision on July 26, after a hearing in which the Umno man decided to represent himself.
The suit is over the allegation of abuse of Yayasan Warisan Anak Selangor (Yawas) funds, in which Jamal accused Kok and several Pakatan Harapan representatives of misappropriating funds from Skim Mesra Usia Emas.
"To my surprise and that of my lawyers, Jamal discharged his lawyer yesterday afternoon and informed the court that he wished to represent himself, so today he came to court without a lawyer," Kok explained in a Facebook post.
Jamal reportedly told the court that the lawyer he discharged was not good enough.
"He then tried to request for a postponement of the trial to enable him to appoint a new lawyer, but the judge had rejected his application as this case has been dragged on for too long since 2017.
"The judge then ordered the trial to be carried out as scheduled," said Kok.
"He did not know how to cross-examine and also told the judge he had no witnesses to offer. So the trial finished in less than an hour," she said.
Judge Arief Emran then fixed July 26 2022, for decision.
Allegation of using funds
The case has its origins in an accusation in March 2017, when Jamal claimed several politicians from the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur and Selangor had used funds meant for welfare aid for personal gains.
He claimed the politicians withdrew cash from the Yawas fund but never disbursed it to qualified recipients.
Earlier this month, Kok lodged a police report against Jamal for allegedly sharing several classified documents protected under the Official Secrets Act 1972 (OSA) in relation to the case. - Mkini
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