<figure id="attachment_2790379" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-2790379" style="width: 1600px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="wp-image-2790379 size-full" src="https://media.freemalaysiatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/7fea306f-alim-saad-mahathir-mohamad-nor-mohamed-yakcop-collage-new-180624.webp" alt="" width="1600" height="1000" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-2790379" class="wp-caption-text">(From left) Halim Saad claimed that Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Nor Mohamed Yakcop ‘forced’ him to relinquish his stake in Renong-UEM, together with all rights vested in him, without adequate compensation more than 23 years ago.</figcaption></figure>
PETALING JAYA: Tycoon Halim Saad has applied for leave to appeal to the Federal Court after failing to reinstate his lawsuit against former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and two others over the government’s takeover of his holdings in the Renong-UEM Group.
This comes after the appellate court last month dismissed Halim&#8217;s appeal on grounds that the lawsuit, filed in 2023, was time barred.
According to Bernama, Halim’s lawyer A Surendra Ananth confirmed that the leave application was filed with the Federal Court yesterday.
The tycoon raised four legal questions for the apex court’s consideration, including whether a claim against the government for a breach of any of the fundamental liberties under the Federal Constitution is subject to the Limitation Act 1953 or the Public Authorities Protection Act 1948.
In dismissing his appeal, the appellate court affirmed the High Court’s May 9, 2024, decision to strike out the lawsuit on the grounds that it was time-barred under the two Acts.
Justice Supang Lian, who led a three-member bench, said Halim’s lawsuit was a plain and obvious case for striking out.
The appellate court ordered Halim to pay RM20,000 in costs to the defendants, who included former second finance minister Nor Mohamed Yakcop and the government.
In the suit, Halim claimed that Mahathir and Mohamed “forced” him to relinquish his stake in Renong-UEM, together with all rights vested in him, without adequate compensation more than 23 years ago.
Mahathir was prime minister from July 1981 to October 2003, and again from May 2018 to February 2020.
Halim alleged that Mahathir and Mohamed were “the prime movers in respect of the said compulsory acquisition and deprivation”.
The stake was said to comprise 372 million shares, and represented 16% of Renong Bhd’s entire share capital.
Halim claimed that the shares, acquired by government investment arm Khazanah Nasional Bhd through its subsidiary in 2001, belonged to him personally and not to Umno, a fact acknowledged by Anwar Ibrahim in Parliament on Nov 24, 1997.
Anwar was Mahathir’s deputy and also the finance minister and Umno deputy president at the time.
Halim claimed that UEM then held a 32.6% stake in Renong, while Renong held a 37.92% share in UEM.
The suit sought an unspecified amount in compensation or, alternatively, general, aggravated and exemplary damages to be assessed by the court, together with interest and costs.

MatchPoint Times

Halim Saad turns to Federal Court to reinstate Renong takeover suit

This comes after the appellate court last month dismissed the tycoon’s appeal on grounds that the lawsuit, filed in 2023, was time barred.

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