Court dismisses suit by NFCorp, Salleh against Public Bank

National Feedlot Corporation Sdn Bhd (NFCorp), its executive chairperson Mohamad Salleh Ismail (above) and three subsidiaries, today failed in their bid to sue Public Bank Berhad for breach of contract to protect their bank account confidentiality.

This followed High Court judge Su Geok Yiam’s decision in dismissing the suit filed in 2012 by NFCorp and Salleh, as well as the three subsidiaries, namely National Meat & Livestock Corporation Sdn Bhd, Agroscience Industries Sdn Bhd and Real Food Company Sdn Bhd.

Su dismissed the suit on grounds that all the plaintiffs failed to prove the case against Public Bank based on the balance of probabilities.

"Therefore, the suit against the defendant (Public Bank) is dismissed with cost,” she said and ordered all the plaintiffs to pay costs of RM350,000 to Public Bank.

On May 22, 2012, NFCorp, Salleh and the three subsidiary companies filed a suit against Public Bank over breach of contract to protect their bank account confidentiality.

They claimed that their business reputation and credibility had suffered irreparable loss and damage as a result of the security breach of the Banking and Financial Institutions Act 1989 (Bafia) by the bank.

The plaintiffs also claimed that their leaked bank account information was used by (then) PKR vice-president Mohd Rafizi Ramli to bolster allegations that the plaintiffs had leveraged a government loan to buy eight KL Eco City properties.

Lawyer Noor Farhah Mustaffa, representing the plaintiffs, said her clients would appeal against the decision.

- Bernama