Kuala lumpur: The High Court here rejected an application by Cahya Mata Sarawak Bhd (Cahya Mata) for an ad-interim injunction against its director, Datuk Seri Mahmud Abu Bekir Taib, among others, to restrain him from attending board meetings.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Judicial Commissioner Zaleha Mohd Yusuf Pan made the ruling after the counsel representing Mahmud objected to the application. Cahya Mata made the application for an ad-interim injunction pending an inter-partes injunction hearing. The interim injunction application was related to a lawsuit filed by the company against Mahmud for various remedies.

In the application, the company was also seeking to restrain Mahmud from making or causing to be made any statements to the media concerning the plaintiff, its subsidiaries and/or any ongoing proceedings.

The court then fixed June 15 for further case management of the lawsuit as well as directed Mahmud, the defendant, to file his affidavit on or before May 29, while Cahya Mata is to file its affidavit in reply by June 12. 'Mention will be on June 15 for the defendant to update the court on whether there is any necessity to file further affidavits and to obtain further directions from the court,' Zaleha said.

The company had initially applied for an ex parte injunction; however, the court directed the application to be heard inter partes. Representing Cahya Mata was Alvin Chong, while Mahmud was represented by Satinder Singh Sandhu.

The dispute arose amid ongoing boardroom disagreements following Mahmud's redesignation from the group's deputy chairman to director within the company's board structure.