Zuraida’s disloyalty
caused govt collapse, PKR
lawyer tells court
In an appeals court submission, Ranjit Singh says Zuraida Kamaruddin voluntarily signed a loyalty bond.
Lawyer Ranjit Singh, representing PKR, said the defections saw a democratically elected federal government brought down for the first time, resulting in two successive
administrations being installed.backdoor
Ranjit told a three-member appeals court panel, chaired by Justice See Mee Chun.There will be chaos if there is no loyalty by a party member,
Zuraida wants the Court of Appeal to overturn a High Court judgment ordering her to pay the party RM10 million for breaching a bond.
Also on the bench were Justices Azman Abdullah and Ahmad Kamal Shahid.
Ranjit acknowledged that Zuraida had contributed to PKR during her 20-year stint with the party. However, she signed the bond voluntarily and knew its consequences, he added.
he said.The bond is about loyalty to the party and serves to deter members from breaching it. This bond cannot be equated to a commercial contract,
Ranjit said PKR, as a national party, had a legitimate interest in ensuring democracy is upheld.
He said Zuraida was among those who caused the 22-month-old government’s downfall in late February 2020.
In what became known as the Sheraton Move, leaders from Barisan Nasional, PAS, Bersatu and PKR, including Zuraida, met at the Sheraton Hotel in Petaling Jaya, which culminated in then prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s resignation.
Twelve PKR MPs were central figures in the power grab that led to Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin being appointed as prime minister on March 1, 2020.
Counsel Azhar Harun, representing Zuraida, said the change in government was legitimate at the time as the anti-hopping law was not yet in place.
he said.Article 43(2)(a) of the Federal Constitution states that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong shall appoint a prime minister who in his judgment is likely to command the confidence of the majority of the members of the Dewan Rakyat,
Azhar said the RM10 million sought is illusory and disproportionate. He said PKR failed to quantify the losses it suffered as a result of Zuraida’s departure from the party.
He also said the bond, signed a few days before the nomination day in April 2018, was not the product of thorough negotiations between parties of equal standing.
he said.My client too has a legitimate interest as she built the party when its leader was in jail,
At the conclusion of the hearing, See announced that judgment will be reserved for the bench to deliberate on the submissions of both parties.
On June 23 last year, High Court judge Akhtar Tahir entered judgment for PKR in the lawsuit after holding that the bond was a binding contract and that it was valid and enforceable. He also ordered the former Ampang MP to pay the party RM50,000 in legal costs.
The suit was filed on Sept 28, 2020 by PKR’s then secretary-general, Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, on behalf of the party.
In the statement of claim, Saifuddin said Zuraida had executed a bond that compelled her to pay PKR RM10 million in the event she resigns from the party after winning a seat on the party’s ticket, joins another political party, or becomes an independent elected representative.
In her defence, Zuraida claimed she was forced to sign the bond to be able to stand for election as a candidate in the 14th general election (GE14) in 2018.
Akhtar dismissed Zuraida’s contention that she signed the bond under duress or coercion as baseless.
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