Court of appeal grants stay of suit over Mazu statue

(Bernama) – The Court of Appeal today issued a stay of the civil suit proceedings over the Sabah government’s decision to withdraw the approval to erect the Mazu statue in Kudat.

Justices Datuk Abdull Hamid Embong, Datuk Hassan Lah and Datuk Abdul Malik Ishak made the ruling after hearing submissions from counsel Datuk Muhammad Shafee Abdullah for the applicants who included Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman and Ansari Abdullah who acted for respondent, former Chief Minister Tan Sri Chong Kah Kiat.

With the order, the trial which commenced from January 12 and scheduled to resume on Monday, is postponed until the applicants’ appeal against the High Court decision to dismiss their application to strike out Chong’s suit is heard.

Chong who is chairman of the Kudat Thean Hou Charitable Foundation filed the suit at the Kota Kinabalu High Court on February 6 last year, naming Musa, former State Secretary Datuk K.Y. Mustafa, State Local Government Permanent Secretary Datuk Ujang Sulani and the Housing and Kudat Town Board as defendants.

The High Court on April 21 this year, dismissed the defendants’ application to strike out the suit as well as the application for a stay of proceedings pending an appeal.