SEREMBAN: The Negri Sembilan Royal Council and its secretary, Raja Norazli Raja Nordin, have initiated further contempt proceedings against six individuals for allegedly evading service of court papers after leave to commence committal proceedings was granted on July 8.
Lawyer Steven Thiru, representing the Negri Sembilan Royal Council and Raja Norazli, informed Justice Roz Mawar Rozain of the latest application during proceedings on Tuesday (July 28).
He said the application was filed this morning after repeated attempts to serve the six individuals with the cause papers relating to the earlier committal proceedings proved unsuccessful.
The six are former Undang Luak Sungai Ujong Datuk Mubarak Thahak, Undang Luak Jelebu Datuk Maarof Mat Rashad, Undang Luak Johol Datuk Muhammed Abdullah, Undang Luak Rembau Datuk Abdul Rahim Yasin, Tunku Besar Tampin Tunku Syed Razman Tunku Syed Idrus Al-Qadri and Shahbandar Sungai Ujong Datuk Seri Badarudin Abdul Khalid.
The court was scheduled to hear the original committal proceedings by the Negri Sembilan Royal Council and Raja Norazli against the six individuals on Tuesday (July 28).
However, the hearing was postponed after counsel Awang Armadajaya Awang Mahmud, appearing for the six individuals, informed the court that an application to stay the committal proceedings had been filed on Monday (July 27).
"The stay application will be heard by the Court of Appeal on Wednesday (July 29). We therefore seek an adjournment of today's hearing," he said.
As the request was not opposed by the other parties, Justice Roz Mawar adjourned the matter to Sept 28.
On July 8, Justice Roz Mawar granted leave to the Negri Sembilan Royal Council and Raja Norazli to commence committal proceedings against the six individuals for allegedly breaching an interim injunction.
She ruled that the applicants had established a prima facie case to proceed with the committal action, which is the legal process used to address alleged contempt of court.
The interim injunction arose from a civil suit concerning the appointment of the Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negri Sembilan, with the six accused of acting in breach of the court order.
The court also dismissed the six individuals' application to stay the committal proceedings pending the disposal of their appeal, and fixed Tuesday (July 28) for the hearing.
The dispute began on May 5 when Mubarak and five others filed an originating summons in the High Court seeking copies of the minutes of a special Negri Sembilan Royal Council meeting held on April 17.
Among the matters recorded in the minutes was the decision to remove Mubarak as the Undang of Sungai Ujong.
On June 5, the High Court granted an interim injunction to preserve the *status quo* by maintaining the existing composition of the Negri Sembilan Royal Council and Raja Norazli's position as its secretary until issues relating to jurisdiction and justiciability are determined, or until further order of the court.
However, Raja Norazli later alleged that despite the interim injunction having been granted earlier that day, media reports stated that the plaintiffs, particularly Maarof, had participated in the purported appointment of a Yang di-Pertuan Besar under Article 11 of the Negri Sembilan Constitution 1959.
He claimed the appointment was made in defiance of the court order, prompting the Negri Sembilan Royal Council and Raja Norazli to seek leave from the High Court to initiate committal proceedings against the six individuals for contempt of court. - Bernama
