FOLLOW-UP ON MUTALIB CASE:

RM 30M Suit Against Immigration:
Indon Gets Visa Extension
P. SELVARANI, Kuala Lumpur (Sept 27, 2005)

An Indonesian housewife was yesterday granted a month’s extension on her visa by the Kuala Lumpur High Court to allow her to attend a hearing for an ex-parte application by her children for her to be present during the hearing of a civil suit filed against several government agencies.

ALL TOGETHER: Romita Hasibuan with her children - (from left) Sarah, Yonatam, Ismael and Maruly.

Romita Hasibuan’s visa expires today. The ex-parte application was allowed by Judicial Commissioner Rohana Yusuf.

This was after Romita and her four children filed an urgent application at the court last Friday, to allow her to remain in the country until their RM30.2 million suit against Immigration Department director-general Datuk Jamal Kamdi and 13 others over the alleged wrongful arrest, detention and deportation of their husband and father, Abd Mutalib Taib, is disposed of. The court has set Oct 26, to hear the ex-parte application.

Abd Mutalib, Romita and their children, Maruly Aziz, 13, Sarah Nor Varah Hanim, 11, Yonatam Adam Fauzi, nine, and Ismael Syah Putra, six, had on Friday filed a suit against Jamal, his deputy Saadun Mat Sabari, the Immigration Department, National Registration Department and the Home Affairs Minister as defendants, among others.

Abd Mutalib, an Indonesian with Permanent Resident status, is seeking an order for the defendants to pay RM10 million in damages for unlawful arrest and deportation, and another RM2.331 million for unlawful detention.

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(NOTE: This information was relayed to MFA by Charles Hector Fernandez, a human rights lawyer in Malaysia. He is closely working with MFA.  Charles can be contacted through his email address: chef@tm.net.my.)

Related Stories:

• RM 10M SUIT FILED AGAINST AZMI FOR DEFAMATION (Sept. 15, 2005)
• WIFE'S APPLICATION REJECTED THRICE ON ‘TECHNICALITIES’ (June 9, 2005)
• AN URGENT APPEAL TO UPHOLD THE RIGHTS OF CHILDREN:  UNITE THE MUTALIB FAMILY!