The household items of state Wanita PKR head Norhayati Jaafar were today sealed by the Penang High Court for failing to pay damages to a plaintiff for defamation.

NONE The court order was issued today to seal her belongings at her house in Taman Sri Kijang, Alma, Bukit Mertajam after she failed to pay RM30,000 in damages to her predecessor Aminah Abdullah (left) , who won the defamation case.

Aminah’s counsel Saiful Ambar Abdullah Ambar said last Sept 27, Judicial Commissioner GV Varughese issued a court order for Norhayati, as the first defendant, and two others to each pay Aminah RM30,000 in damages after they were found guilty of making defamatory statements against Aminah which appeared in the May 20-22, 2011 edition of the Harakah newspaper.

"However, three months after the court decision was made, the defendants including Norhayati failed to pay up.

"So, we applied for the court to issue an order to seal the belongings of the defendant to claim for the damages," he told reporters in Bukit Mertajam.

Saiful Ambar said if Norhayati still failed to pay damages 14 days after her household items had been sealed, the court could order for the items to be auctioned off.

Pakatan dinner Wan Azizah Meanwhile, Aminah said she was surprised that Norhayati did not ask for help from PKR, particularly from its president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail (right) , to help pay for the damages she was willing to defame her (Aminah) for the sake of the party and Wan Azizah.

"I think Norhayati should rethink her struggle with PKR because while she had done a lot for the party, they are not helping her when she has a problem now," she said.

There was a commotion at the sealing operation when Norhayati’s husband angrily objected to the presence of reporters and photographers to cover the operation.

But it went on smoothly after a court representative said he was only executing the court order and had no power to prevent the press from covering the operation.

On June 15, 2011, Aminah filed a RM6 million defamation suit against Norhayati, Bukit Mertajam PKR division deputy head Jab Samat, Jelutong PKR secretary Khairil Anuar Kamarudin, Harakah reporter Mohd Sabri Said, its chief editor Ahmad Lutfi Othman and PAS.

Last Sept 27, the Penang High Court ordered Norhayati, Jab and Khairil Anuar to each pay Aminah RM30,000 in damages but cleared Mohd Sabri, Ahmad Lufti and PAS of defaming Aminah after it accepted their defence.

The three PKR leaders’ application for leave to appeal against the decision, was however rejected by the Court of Appeal on Nov 29.

- Bernama

Penang stories

'Green YB' picks transgender as his pol sec

MACC's 'file closed' statement prejudicial to GE petitions

MP: Has MACC become the protector of the corrupt?

13 branch leaders in Tanjung show support for Teng

Penang speaker wants a longer Q&A session

Hijacked police MPV recovered in Bukit Mertajam