Dr Zakir’s appeal over transfer of defamation suit to Penang High Court rejected

PUTRAJAYA, Aug 13: The Court of Appeal has rejected Dr Zakir Naik’s appeal against a High Court’s decision that allowed former Batu Uban assemblyman S. Raveentharan’s application to transfer the suit filed by the independent speaker against him for alleged defamation from the Kuala Lumpur High Court to the Penang High Court.

Bernama reported that this followed a decision by a three-member bench, comprising Datuk Yaacob Md Sam, Datuk M.Gunalan and Datuk Hashim Hamzah, in allowing a preliminary objection raised by Raveentharan’s counsel over non-compliance of a mandatory provision by Dr Zakir’s solicitors.

Justice Yaacob, who led the bench, held that Dr Zakir’s appeal is incompetent for failure to comply with Rule 18 (6) of the Rules of the Court of Appeal 1994.

“We are of the view that Rule 18 (6) is mandatory in its nature. It has to be complied with by parties. There is no exception to the compliance of this Rule,” he was quoted as saying by Bernama.