Siti Mastura granted interim stay of execution in defamation case

Siti Mastura granted interim stay of execution in defamation case

GEORGE TOWN: The High Court here has fixed Jan 23 to decide whether it should grant Kepala Batas MP Siti Mastura Muhammad a stay of execution after she was ordered to pay three DAP leaders a total of RM825,000 in damages and costs.

The court had on Dec 4 ruled that Mastura of PAS had defamed DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang, his son, Guan Eng, and Seputeh MP Teresa Kok by linking them to the late Communist Party of Malaya leader, Chin Peng, while campaigning for the Kemaman by-election last year.

It ordered her to pay RM300,000 to Kit Siang, RM250,000 to Guan Eng, and RM200,000 to Kok, and costs of RM25,000 to each of them.

Lawyer SN Nair, who represented the DAP trio, revealed that the timeline for the hearing of the stay of execution had been brought forward. It was originally fixed for Feb 19.

The stay of execution hearing will determine whether Mastura can delay payment while pursuing further legal recourse.

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“So an interim stay of execution of the judgment has been granted until Jan 23,” Nair said.

According to him, High Court judge Quay Chew Soon said that stays of execution are not typically granted for monetary judgments.

“However, in the interest of justice, the judge granted the interim stay and will proceed to hear and decide on the application on Jan 23,” he said.

He also said that if the court does not grant Mastura a stay of execution, he has been instructed to commence bankruptcy proceedings, among others.

PAS has, in the meantime, launched a donation drive among its members to raise funds for Mastura to pay up