PUTRAJAYA: Former Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) vice-president Datuk Zuraida Kamaruddin has lodged an appeal at the Court of Appeal against the High Court’s decision to order her to pay RM10 million to PKR for violating the party’s bond. The notification of the appeal was submitted on Monday (July 10) through Messrs Zharif Nizamuddin, the law firm representing Zuraida in the case. This move comes after the High Court in Kuala Lumpur ruled in favor of PKR on June 23, declaring the bond as valid and binding. In addition to the RM10 million payment, Judge Datuk Akhtar Tahir also instructed Zuraida to cover RM50,000 in legal costs.
The lawsuit was filed by PKR secretary-general Datuk Saifuddin Nasution Ismail on September 28, 2020, on behalf of the party, seeking RM10 million in compensation from Zuraida for breaching the bond that linked her to the party. According to the statement of claim, Saifuddin stated that Zuraida committed to paying the party the stipulated amount, as outlined in the bond’s terms and conditions.
Among other obligations, the terms stated that Zuraida would pay PKR RM10 million within seven days of winning an election on the PKR ticket, resigning from the party, joining another political party, or becoming an independent elected representative. However, in her defense, Zuraida argued that she was coerced into signing the bond in order to become a candidate for the party in the 14th General Election (GE14) in 2018.
Justice Akhtar dismissed Zuraida’s claim that she was under duress or coercion when signing the bond, deeming it baseless. He affirmed that the bond constituted a valid agreement that holds Zuraida accountable for fulfilling her commitment to pay RM10 million upon termination of her membership. The judge also attributed any damage to Zuraida’s reputation as a result of her own misconduct. – Bernama
Credit: The Star : News Feed
