KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 7 — The High Court today dismissed an application by Sungai Besar Umno Division chief Datuk Seri Jamal Md Yunos to strike out a defamation suit filed by former energy, science, technology, environment and climate change minister Yeo Bee Yin in connection with the Yayasan Warisan Anak Selangor (Yawas) fund.

Counsel Mohammed Nasser Yusof, representing Jamal, told reporters that Judge Datuk Rozana Ali Yusoff, who made the decision in chambers, ruled that the application had no merit.

The court ordered Jamal to pay RM2,000 in costs to Yeo and set Oct 9 for case management.

Yeo’s lawyer, Datuk Sankara Nair confirmed the matter.

Jamal filed the application to strike out the suit on June 25 on grounds that it was premature as investigations by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) was still going on.

Yeo filed the suit on June 14, 2017, seeking RM5 million in compensation from Jamal for his defamatory statement over the alleged abuse of the Yawas fund.

In the statement of claim, Yeo, who is also Bakri MP, claimed that Jamal had issued a defamatory statement on March 21, 2017, and that the statement was also published by several newspapers, news portals and on Jamal’s Facebook account.

Yeo claimed that Jamal’s statement, among others, gave the impression that she had abused public fund for personal use and painted her as an unethical and unreliable person.

Apart from RM5 million in general damages, Yeo is also seeking compensatory, aggravated and exemplary damages and an injunction to prevent Jamal from repeating the allegations. — Bernama