KUALA LUMPUR – The high court here has granted local company J&E Advance Tech Sdn Bhd’s bid for substituted service to serve its defamation suit against former international trade and industry minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali.
According to the company’s lawyer Elyse Ng, the company’s numerous attempts to serve copies of writs of summons and statement of claims on Azmin personally have failed thus far.
“We were instructed by the court to serve the cause papers on him by publishing the notice in a local newspaper,” Ng was quoted as saying by FMT.
It was also reported that the company’s application seeking to serve copies of the documents through substituted service was allowed by the court last Friday.
Substituted service is a court-sanctioned alternative way of service after attempts at personal service are unsuccessful.
On April 14, J&E Advance Tech filed a defamation suit against Azmin over his remarks allegedly asserting that the company was awarded a contract to import eggs from India via direct negotiation.
In the statement of claim, the company also made reference to Azmin’s claim that businessman Deepak Jaikishan was involved with the appointment of the company’s importation contract.
While the company did not specify a quantified amount for the damages it is seeking against Azmin, its initial letter of demand called for RM20 million in damages for injury caused to its reputation.
Case management for the defamation suit is scheduled for May 16.
Besides Azmin, the company has also sent letters of demand to Ayer Hitam MP and MCA president Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong for statements made in Dewan Rakyat over the quality and freshness of the eggs from India. – The Vibes, May 2, 2023
