Taib’s sons vs Raghad: Court wants issue of Shariah jurisdiction to be settled before trial begins

KUCHING, May 8 — The High Court here has ordered for the issue of whether the Syariah Court has jurisdiction over the suit filed by sons of the late Tun Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud against their stepmother Toh Puan Datuk Patinggi Raghad Kurdi Taib, to be resolved first before the actual trial begins.

Judge Alexander Siew has fixed May 14 for the suit’s pre-trial case management, at which time the court will also fix trial dates and issue directions for the trials on the jurisdictional issue.

During the proceedings, Siew also struck off an application by the plaintiffs, Datuk Seri Sulaiman Abdul Rahman Taib and Datuk Seri Mahmud Abu Bekir Taib, to include their late father as the third defendant.

“Enclosure 132 was an application by the plaintiffs to include Tun Taib as the third defendant.

“Tun Taib has since passed away so Enclosure 132 has been overtaken by events. Enclosure 132 is hereby struck off with no order as to costs,” said Siew.

Meanwhile, the plaintiffs through their counsel, Alvin Chong, informed the court that the Letters of Administration had since been issued in respect of the late Taib Mahmud estate and the late Datuk Patinggi Puan Sri Laila Taib estate.

“The process is, there was revocation of the previous Letters of Administration issued to the late Tun Taib and since then upon application by the first plaintiff (Sulaiman), the District Office has since issued fresh Letters of Administration to the first plaintiff affecting the estate of late Toh Puan Laila,” explained Chong.

Chong exits the courtroom after the proceedings. — The Borneo Post pic 

Raghad, the wife of former governor Taib, is being sued by his sons Sulaiman and Bekir who are seeking a court injunction to halt the transfer of shares from Cahya Mata Sarawak Berhad to her.

Sulaiman and Bekir have named Raghad as the first defendant, and RHB Investment Bank Berhad as the second defendant.

Raghad is represented by Alvin Yong, Shirleen Ong and Wong Chun Ming.

Representing RHB Investment Bank is Tan Kee Heng and Lesley Lynn Ling, while Sulaiman and Bekir are represented by Chong and Jonathan Tay. — The Borneo Post