Ba’Kelalan assemblyman Baru Bian has filed an application to strike out a lawsuit brought against him by Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), which is seeking RM10 million in damages over an alleged breach of a bond agreement.
The application was filed through Messrs YH Teh & Quek on April 6, with Baru arguing that the High Court in Peninsular Malaysia has no jurisdiction to hear the case as the cause of action originated in Sarawak.
He said the bond agreement was signed in Kuching on April 25, 2018, and that his political involvement with PKR was primarily based in Sarawak, not the peninsula.
According to Baru, any dispute arising from the matter should therefore be handled in Sarawak courts.
“The plaintiff’s action against me, even if proven, did not arise in Peninsular Malaysia. The claim originates in Sarawak,” he stated in his affidavit.
The case has been fixed for case management on May 20 before High Court Judge Roslan Mat Nor.
Baru Bian, who is also the former Selangau MP, is among 16 former PKR lawmakers named in separate lawsuits filed by the party.
PKR, through its secretary-general Datuk Dr Fuziah Salleh, is seeking RM10 million from each defendant, alleging they breached a bond agreement after leaving the party following their election victories in the 14th General Election (GE14).
Others named include several prominent former MPs and state assembly members such as Datuk Kamarudin Jaffar, Datuk Mansor Othman, Datuk Mohd Rashid Hasnon, Datuk Seri Saifuddin Abdullah, and Datuk Seri R. Santhara Kumar.
PKR alleges that all defendants had agreed to the bond terms, which required payment within seven days if they left the party, joined another political party, or became independents after being elected under its banner.
The party further claimed that all defendants left PKR in February 2020 and later supported other political coalitions, leading to the termination of their membership and subsequent legal action to enforce the bond payment.
