Umno has been served with a writ of summons by two of its members from the Kota Marudu division to rectify their personal information in the political party’s records which stated they were deceased.

Henry Jamry Yakim, 54, and Jennifer Mongikal, 47, named Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, who is also Umno president, as first defendant, Umno secretary-general Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor as second defendant, Kota Marudu Umno division chief Wetrom Bahanda @ Mohd Fikri and the division’s secretary Emran Maidin as third and fourth defendants respectively.

When met at the courthouse in Kota Kinabalu today after the case was mentioned at the High Court, counsel for the first and second defendants Chin Tek Ming said his clients and the other two defendants were seeking to strike out the suit.

According to the writ of summons, Henry and Jennifer claimed they had been called by the National Registration Department in Kudat in August last year to confirm the true nature of their status as the Umno headquarters had wanted confirmation on whether the plaintiffs were still alive.

This prompted the plaintiffs to make a search with the party headquarters and were shocked to find out that the records showed they were deceased and since then they were unable to exercise their voting right or contest in the Umno divisional election last October.

Henry and Jennifer both demanded proof as to how the party could consider them dead when they were very much alive, and explanation of why they were never consulted or why no efforts were made to clarify the matter with them.

They claimed the incident had caused serious hardship to them and could not take part and perform their duties as well as exercise their privileges as Umno members, besides facing embarrassment and humiliation which affected their daily lives.

Apart from rectifying their status in the party’s records, Henry and Jennifer also wanted the defendents to publish in the national and local newspapers an apology and a statement that the party's records on their status were incorrect.

They also seek RM10 million in exemplary damages and another RM10 million in aggravated damages as well as for their rights, interests and privileges as Umno members restored.

High Court deputy registrar Steve Litikos fixed Feb 26 to hear the plaintiffs’ application to add another person, Umno executive secretary Ab Rauf Yusoh as the fifth defendant, while March 6 was set for the hearing of the defendents’ application to strike out the suit.

Henry and Jennifer were represented by lawyer Azman Karim, while the third and fourth defendants were represented by Jaafar Estaban.

- Bernama