Sabahans have been transfixed in the last few days by a live soap opera pitting the Indian and Dusun families of millionaire former Sabah Indian Congress president Udham Singh Maan against each other over visiting rights.

queen elizabeth hospital kota kinabalu 251008 The ailing Udham, a noted boxing referee in his time, has been lying at the Palliative Care Unit of the Queen Elizabeth General Hospital in Kota Kinabalu.

He has been diagnosed with cancer of the kidney.

In the latest development on Friday, Miri-based High Court judge Dzulkifli Bakar decided to allow Ajit Kaur, Udham’s first wife, visiting rights between 5.30pm and 7pm daily.

Previously, Ajit had maintained a dawn to dusk vigil outside the hospital everyday.

The judge also ordered that Rani Maan, Udham’s daughter from his Dusun marriage to Saineh Angkat, must be present.

Rani, her father’s legal guardian, had earlier obtained the restraining order against Ajit and another defendant in a suit which will be heard on June 9.

The restraining order prohibits the defendants from coming within 100 feet of Udham unless they received written permission from his second family. The reason for the restraining order is unclear.

The judge cautioned both families of Udham to ensure that the visits to him would be peaceful.

The judge further ordered that Udham be immediately transferred to the privately-run Sabah Medical Centre for further treatment and assessment of his mental capacity.

The transfer of the patient, who is taking 12 types of medications, is to enable the court to affirm a affidavit of the plaintiff Rani Maan by specialists that her father suffers from delirium, an altered state of mind and a state of confusion as a result of the said medications.

Independent solicitor to be appointed

He also varied an earlier order dated April 28 to add the term that “an independent solicitor be appointed for the purpose of procuring an affidavit from Udham in respect of matters relevant to inter-parte proceedings set for June 9”.

The independent solicitor would be charged with filing the affidavit in court without taking any instructions from the plaintiff Rani Maan, the first defendant Ajit Kaur or the second defendant Dr Chitra Rajendran from QEH.

Both plaintiff and the defendants are to be extended copies of the affidavit. The plaintiff is being represented by counsel Rakhbir Singh.

There is a additional twist to the case. Counsel Zulaiha Chew Abdullah, who used to represent the defendants, has discharged herself over a conflict of interest situation.

She had earlier lodged a police report on May 11 against Rani for forcibly preventing her from accessing Udham, also her client, for legal counsel.

Briefly, the report details that Zulaiha had gone to the QEH following a call from Udham on May 10. He wanted her to represent him in a dispute between his two families.

When the lawyer arrived at the hospital with two copies of her letter of appointment, she introduced herself to Udham and a woman (identified as Rani Maan) who was sitting beside him near the bedside.

Lawyer''s friend came to her rescue

The woman, according to Zulaiha, became upset and demanded to know the reason for her presence but was advised not to get involved but could remain if that was what she wanted.

Udham apparently managed to sign one copy of Zulaiha’s appointment before it was snatched away by the woman who managed to crumble it.

Zulaiha, who had retrieved the crumbled letter, was about to beat a hasty retreat when the woman blocked the exit at the door and tried to snatch away the letter again.

She failed because the letter by this time was secure within a book the lawyer carried with her.

Furious, according to the police report, the woman grabbed Zulaiha by both her arms and pushed her back into the room and in front of Udham.

The lawyer’s friend, who was nearby, came to her rescue and both of them were able to leave the hospital ward immediately thereafter.

Police have confirmed that they are investigating the report under Section 350 of the Penal Code for use of criminal force and causing annoyance. The penalty is three months, a RM1,000 fine, or further jail in lieu of the fine.

Udham married Ajit on May 25, 1964 and have a son, three daughters and an adopted daughter. He took his second wife in 1982.

'Please don't fight, I will be fair'

Udham has been quoted as advising both his families in the local media: “Please don’t fight. I will be fair – on the division of my wealth - to everyone.”

“I am getting much better now. But I need someone to take care of me, especially at night. That is the reason why I called my first wife to come,” Udham told the press indicating that RM15 million he had in cash and properties was at the root of the dispute.

“I hope both parties will come to their senses and reconcile.”

Before yesterday’s court order, Ajit had been reported as saying in the local media: “My husband is yearning for me to take care of him but the court order is restraining me from approaching, visiting or coming within 100 feet of my husband unless the other family consents in writing.

“I have been advised to respect the court order as otherwise I could be charged with contempt of court. All I can do now is to just pray and hang around the hospital. I don’t have peace of mind at home.”

A hospital spokesman said the hospital takes certain procedures when one of its doctors is implicated in a restraining order.

The spokesman expressed surprise that the lawyer serving the restraining order was accompanied by a policeman, apparently an unusual step in a civil suit.

Dr Chitra Rajendran, the doctor implicated in the restraining order, had been attending to Udham during his stay at QEH.