Kuala lumpur: The High Court here today granted leave to the Negeri Sembilan Royal Council (DKU) and its secretary, Raja Norazli Raja Nordin, to initiate committal proceedings against six individuals for allegedly breaching an interim injunction.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Justice Roz Mawar Rozain granted the application after ruling that the applicants had established a prima facie case to commence committal proceedings, the legal mechanism used to punish contempt of court. The six individuals include former Undang Luak Sungai Ujong Datuk Mubarak Thahak, Undang Luak Jelebu Datuk Maarof Mat Rashad, Undang Luak Johol Datuk Muhammed Abdullah, Undang Luak Rembau Datuk Abdul Rahim Yasin, Tunku Besar Tampin Tunku Syed Razman Tunku Syed Idrus Al-Qadri, and Shahbandar Sungai Ujong Datuk Seri Badarudin Abdul Khalid.
The interim injunction in question was issued in a lawsuit concerning the appointment of the Yang Dipertuan Besar. The six individuals are accused of breaching that court order. The court also dismissed the six individuals' application for a stay of the committal proceedings pending their appeal against the ruling. As a result, the court set July 28 for the hearing of the committal proceedings.
Lawyer Steven Thiru represented Raja Norazli and the DKU, while the six individuals were represented by Awang Armadajaya Awang Mahmud. The legal dispute traces back to May 5, when Mubarak and five others filed an originating summons in the High Court seeking copies of the minutes of a special DKU sitting held on April 17.
Among other things, the April 17 minutes related to the decision to remove Mubarak as the Undang of Sungei Ujong. On June 5, the High Court granted an interim injunction in that originating summons to preserve the status quo, specifically, to maintain the DKU's composition and Raja Norazli's position as its secretary, pending the determination of jurisdictional and justiciability issues, and until further court order.
However, Raja Norazli later alleged that, despite the interim injunction having been issued earlier that day, media reports stated that the plaintiffs, particularly Maarof, had been involved in the purported appointment of a Yang Dipertuan Besar under Article 11 of the Negeri Sembilan Constitution 1959. He claimed that the appointment was made in disregard of the court order.
This alleged breach led Raja Norazli and the DKU to seek leave from the High Court to initiate committal proceedings against the six individuals for contempt of court.