High Court bins Na'imah, sons' challenge against 'toppling govt' probe

 

The Kuala Lumpur High Court has struck out an originating summons filed by Na’imah Abdul Khalid, her two sons, and two lawyers, in which they initially sought to challenge the ongoing police probe into allegations of plotting to topple the government.

The suit was dismissed after judge S Indra Nehru found no element of bad faith in the ongoing probe, in allowing the defendant’s application to bin the suit.

“There is no cogent evidence before this court to prove the allegations of bad faith (or) mala fide in the ongoing police investigation being conducted.

“The allegations that the ongoing police investigation being conducted may be influenced by the first defendant’s alleged public comments are merely speculation or assumptions unsupported by any facts capable of establishing bad faith in the ongoing investigation.

“There is no nexus to connect the first defendant's alleged public comments to the independent ongoing investigation which is based on a police report lodged,” she said, in delivering her brief judgment in just over three minutes.

The judge also did not make any order on costs.

Na’imah (above) filed the suits with her two sons - Amir Zainuddin and Amin Zainuddin - as well as their two lawyers, Amir Zharif Abdullah and Nizamuddin Abdul Hamid on March 6.

They named the Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Inspector-General of Police Khalid Ismail and the government as defendants.

Lawyers Gurdial Singh Nijar and Abraham Au appeared for the plaintiffs while senior federal counsel Salehuddin Ali and federal counsel Solihin Zaki appeared for the defendants in today’s proceeding.

Police probe

The authorities began investigating Na’imah on Feb 26 following a police report lodged involving an “influential individual” and an international media agency.

At that time, Khalid was reported to have confirmed the probe was conducted under Section 124B of the Penal Code for activities detrimental to parliamentary democracy.

Inspector-General of Police Khalid Ismail

The police report alleged that the individual - identified as Na’imah - had allegedly held an online meeting sometime in July last year, where she discussed a purported plan to use international media outlets to mount pressure on Anwar and then MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki.

Na’imah’s two children, two lawyers, and several representatives of an international strategic communications firm purportedly attended the meeting.

Since then, a “communications plan” has leaked, detailing efforts to preserve the reputation of Na’imah’s late husband, former finance minister Daim Zainuddin.

Daim Zainuddin

The plan, designed to run over two years up to the next general election, outlined a strategy which seemingly seeks to undermine the government's narrative by framing legal proceedings against Daim and his family as a politically motivated attack, rather than a legitimate anti-corruption effort.

Linked to Zionist groups?

Anwar, on March 3, floated the possibility that Na’imah’s family plan could be linked to “prominent Zionist groups”, in reference to the “communications plan”.

Na’imah’s lawyers, Rajesh Nagarajan and Sachpreetraj Singh, denied Anwar’s assertions the same day.

Three days later, Na’imah and the other plaintiffs filed the suit seeking several declarations from the court, including that the ongoing probe was unconstitutional.

They also sought declarations that Ismail and the government’s conduct in launching the probe violates the plaintiffs’ rights under Articles 5, 8 and 10 of the Federal Constitution. - Mkini