Lawyer: Terengganu Sultanah wants RM100m compensation from Sarawak Report over defamatory reports

(MMO) – The Terengganu Sultanah is seeking RM100 million as compensation over allegedly defamatory statements in Sarawak Report editor Clare Rewcastle-Brown’s book on the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal, and will sue her if she does not apologise in eight days, the Terengganu royalty’s lawyer has said.

Lawyer Datuk Mohd Haaziq Pillay Abdullah said a legal letter had been sent to Rewcastle-Brown and two others, adding that failure by the trio to comply within eight days will result in a lawsuit seeking RM100 million in damages.

“If they don’t comply, we will claim RM100 million, but what the court will give is based on damages to be proven,” he told Malay Mail when contacted today.

“Any amount that the Terengganu Sultanah receives will all go to charity,” he said.

Mohd Haaziq said the letter of demand was served on September 27 on local publisher Gerakbudaya Enterprise and printer Vinlin Press Sdn Bhd, as well as Rewcastle-Brown the same day via the two companies and on September 28 at the British High Commission as she is a British citizen.

He said the eighth day will be October 5, which means the lawsuit would be filed anytime from October 6 onwards.

Mohd Haaziq said the legal letter sought for Rewcastle-Brown to given a “full written unequivocal public retraction and written apology” in terms to be approved by the Terengganu Sultanah’s lawyers, as well as to give an undertaking not to repeat the alleged defamatory statements.

He said the legal letter also demanded that the publisher and printer do the same within the eight-day period, as well as to stop selling and circulating the book.

Also contained in the legal letter was the demand for RM100 million in compensation, he said.

Mohd Haaziq was referring to Rewcastle-Brown’s recently-launched book titled The Sarawak Report: The Inside Story of the 1MDB Exposé.