UMNO president Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and Executive Secretary Datuk Ab Rauf Yusoh today succeeded in setting aside a suit filed by former Langkawi UMNO member Anina Saadudin over the RM2.6 billion donation issue.
High Court Judicial Commissioner Datuk Mohd Zaki Abdul Wahab allowed the application by Najib and Ab Rauf to strike out the suit after deciding that Anina did not have the locus standi to start legal action because she was not an office bearer or holding any post in UMNO.
He ordered Anina, as the plaintiff, to pay costs of RM5,000 to each defendant (Najib and Ab Rauf).
Mohd Zaki said he agreed with the argument of counsel Datuk Mohd Hafarizam Harun who represented Najib and Ab Rauf that under Section 9 (c) of the Societies Act 1966, any proceeding against an organisation or office bearers can only be initiated by an office bearer or someone holding a post in the organisation.
"The fact is that the plaintiff is clearly not an UMNO office bearer or holder of a post in UMNO, and as such she is not in a capacity to carry out her action," he said.
On the question of whether a non-member of an organisation could take court action to represent the public to enforce a responsibility which the organisation could not carry out, Mohd Zaki said whatever enforced must have public interest and not just an internal party issue.
"Based on the statement of claim and the plaintiff's affidavit, I find the matter which the plaintiff demanded to be enforced or carried out by UMNO is an internal affair of the organisation.
"The matter to be enforced was not in the interest of the public, although undeniably every UMNO member has an interest but it need not necessarily be the overall interest of the public," he said.
Mohd Zaki said, based on the arguments, he found Anina's writ and statement of claim clearly not admissible.
Earlier, Mohd Hafarizam requested for costs of RM10,000 per defendant because the case had drawn public attention on the internal issue of the party, but lawyer Mohamed Haniff Khatri Abdulla representing Anina argued that there should be no order for cost as the case was only at the application stage and no statement of defence was filed to date.
On Aug 28, Anina filed a suit against Najib and Ab Rauf, among others, demanding part of the RM2.6 billion, (US$650 million) which was said to have been banked into by the party president into his personal account in Singapore.
Najib and Ab Rauf then filed applications to strike out the suit on the basis that it was frivolous, vexatious, and Anina had no right under the law to file the suit because she was not an UMNO office bearer.
Outside the court, Mohamed Haniff and Anina said they would file an appeal at the Appeals Court against the decision, while Mohd Hafarizam said: "It's a good New Year gift for UMNO".
Bernama
Thu Dec 31 2015
Najib and Ab Rauf succeeded in setting aside a suit filed by former Langkawi UMNO member Anina Saadudin (pix) over the RM2.6 billion donation issue. -Filepix
Kes seleweng dana RM1.2 bilion: 2 pegawai kanan badan berkanun direman
Dua pegawai kanan badan berkanun ditahan SPRM kerana disyaki menyalah guna kuasa dan menyeleweng dana daripada Kementerian Kewangan berjumlah RM1.2 bilion.
Lantikan semula Azam Baki: PM Anwar ada beberapa pertimbangan - Fahmi
Perdana Menteri sudah membuat beberapa pertimbangan sebelum memutuskan mengenai pelantikan semula Tan Sri Azam Baki sebagai Ketua Pesuruhjaya SPRM.
Nenek 75 tahun, tiga lelaki didakwa miliki, edar dadah
Seorang wanita warga emas dan tiga lelaki dihadapkan ke Mahkamah Majistret di sini atas pertuduhan memiliki dan mengedar dadah awal bulan ini.
Korban banjir lahar dingin di Indonesia terus meningkat, 35 masih hilang
Angka kematian akibat banjir lahar dingin di wilayah Sumatera Barat di Indonesia telah meningkat kepada 58 orang.
Lelaki ditahan kerana tolak 2 individu ke landasan kereta api di Jepun
Seorang lelaki telah ditahan pada Rabu kerana didakwa menolak dua orang ke landasan kereta api di sebuah stesen di Kawasaki yang berhampiran dengan Tokyo.
Konsortium diteraju Khazanah dan KWSP tiada rancangan berhentikan pekerja MAHB
Kosnosrtium diterajui Khazanah dan KWSP mengesahkan tidak ada sebarang rancangan memberhentikan pekerja susulan langkah menjadikan MAHB syarikat persendirian.
Niaga AWANI: Kadar inflasi di Argentina melonjak hampir 290 peratus
Kadar inflasi tahunan di Argentina meningkat kepada 289.4 peratus harga di negara tersebut meningkat 8.8 peratus pada April.
#NiagaAWANI
#NiagaAWANI
Niaga AWANI: Rumah bawah RM300 ribu paling banyak dilancar pada suku pertama
Harga kediaman baharu di bawah RM300 ribu catat peningkatan pada suku pertama 2024 apabila merekodkan jumlah paling banyak dilancarkan.
#NiagaAWANI
#NiagaAWANI
Niaga AWANI: Syarikat gergasi EV dari China lancar model baharu di Mexico
Pengeluar kenderaan jenama BYD dari China berkata, syarikat itu tidak pernah mengintai peluang memperluaskan pasarannya ke Amerika Syarikat. Ia dibuktikan apabila syarikat itu melancarkan Shark, sebuah trak pikap elektrik hibrid bersaiz sederhana, di Mexico.
#NiagaAWANI
#NiagaAWANI
Rusia sasar untuk jadi antara empat ekonomi terbesar dunia - Putin
Matlamat itu ditekankan Putin dalam ucapannya di Perhimpunan Persekutuan Rusia pada Februari 2024.
Najib menang tanpa bertanding Ketua UMNO Bahagian Pekan
Najib yang juga bekas Perdana Menteri dan anggota Parlimen Pekan mengekalkan jawatannya sebagai Ketua UMNO Bahagian Pekan tanpa pencabar.
'Suara UiTM bergema pada Perhimpunan Agung UMNO' - Ab Rauf
Perhimpunan Agung UMNO tahun ini menampilkan kelainan dengan menggunakan tenaga pelajar jurusan Fakulti Muzik dan Seni Persembahan Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) sebagai okestra persembahan.