KUALA TERENGGANU (Bernama): The Magistrate’s Court here issued a warrant of arrest against Sarawak Report editor Clare Rewcastle-Brown on Thursday (Sept 23) for failing to be in court to face a charge with defaming the Sultanah of Terengganu, Sultanah Nur Zahirah.

       Magistrate Nordiana Abd Aziz issued the warrant following an application by the prosecution.

       The court then set Nov 23 for mention.

       Deputy public prosecutors Engku Ahmad Rashdi Engku Abdillah, Noor Haslinda Che Seman and Nadia Zulkefli appeared for the prosecution.

       Rewcastle-Brown was supposed to appear in court on Thursday to face a charge under Section 500 of the Penal Code for making disparaging statement about Sultanah Nur Zahirah in her book, "The Sarawak Report - The Inside Story of the 1MDB Expose".

       Sultanah Nur Zahirah, who filed the suit on Nov 21, 2018, claimed that the disparaging statement by Rewcastle-Brown could be taken to mean that she was involved in corrupt practices and interfered in Terengganu's administration besides using her status to influence the establishment of Terengganu Investment Authority (TIA), which later became 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).

       She claimed that the statement also construed her as having helped fugitive businessman Jho Low, or Low Taek Jho, to become the adviser for TIA. - Bernama