Ummi Hafilda has sworn a sumpah laknat (religious oath) that she did not have sex with her former business partner Nor Azman Abdullah @ Baginda Minda as the latter has claimed.

She took the oath at the Jalan Duta court complex in Kuala Lumpur today, after filing her application seeking judgment in default against Baginda in a defamation suit.

“I am taking this sumpah in the holy month of Ramadan that I did not have sex with Baginda Minda. If I lie, then calamity will befall me,” she said.

Ummi said she has to protect her dignity (maruah) as many claims have been made about her.

“If what he (Baginda) says is true, why doesn’t he appear in court? I challenge Baginda to appear, why he does not dare come to court?” she asked.

NONE In her application filed on Aug 8, Ummi said the writ of summons and statement of claim were sent to Baginda (left) on July 29, and he was to have entered an appearance on Aug 7 but did not.

Ummi was accompanied by her lawyer Mohd Khairul Azam Abdul Aziz.

Mohd Khairul said Malaysiakini , which is named as the second defendant, was represented when the case came up.

“We had filed the necessary papers to serve on him and even took out an advertisement in Harian Metro but he (Baginda) failed to appear,” he said.

Mohd Khairul said the matter has been fixed for case management on Friday, before KL High Court judge VT Singham.

Ummi challenges trio

Wearing a pink baju kurung with a matching selendang , Ummi also challenged Anwar Ibrahim, her half-brother and PKR deputy president Azmin Ali and his wife Shamsidar Taharin to take a similar oath in a mosque on their accusations that the BN had paid her to "expose" wrongdoings by Anwar.

azlan “If they are right and are brave, we can take a similar oath in the mosque. Why are Anwar, Azmin (left) and Shamsidar shying away from doing this? I am prepared to do so but are they willing to do so?”

Ummi had on March 17 filed a RM100 million defamation suit , through the firm of Sahrihan & Hamdan, claiming that Baginda had, in the lobby of Parliament, said words that were defamatory of her, including a claim that she is a woman of loose morals.

Malaysiakini

, through its company Mkini.com, she alleged further, had on March 15 negligently published an article on the defamatory words.

Besides the RM100 million in damages and other relief deemed fit by the court, she had also sought an injunction to prevent Baginda and Malaysiakin i from continuing to defame her.

However, the High Court struck out her claim on April 13 after her lawyers failed to present themselves and Ummi herself was absent.

She re-filed her application on April 25 against Baginda and Malaysiakini .