Court to hear application by Samy Vellu's companion to intervene on Feb 18

KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 7): The hearing for an application filed by Meeriam Rosaline Edward Paul to intervene in the case seeking the Court to determine the mental health of Tun S Samy Vellu is slated on Feb 18.

Meeriam is the companion of 82-year-old Samy Vellu, who is former MIC president.

High Court judge Datuk Mohd Sofian Abdul Razak fixed the date in his chambers, following the case being called up for case management today.

The matter was confirmed by lawyer Datuk David Matthews, who is representing Samy Vellu's son Datuk S Vell Paari, as well as Meeriam's lawyer Ramesh Sivakumar after they went to Justice Sofian's chambers.

Both of them said should Meeriam's application to intervene failed, Justice Sofian would then determine Vell Paari's application to determine his father's mental health.

"If Meeriam is allowed to intervene then the court will fix another hearing date to hear the application as stated in the originating summons by Vell Paari," said Ramesh.

For Ramesh, his client Meeriam has a strong ground to intervene in the case as she had been with the former minister since their 'marriage' or union on Aug 23, 1981.

Also present in today's proceedings was Datuk Prem Kumar, who is representing Samy Vellu.

Vell Paari had filed an originating summons on Dec 2, 2019, seeking the Court to conduct an inquiry under Section 52 of the Mental Health Act 2001, to determine his father's mental health.

The application follows Meeriam's originating summons in August last year at the Ipoh High Court, to declare that she has been in a quasi-spousal union with Samy Vellu.

She wants Samy Vellu and Vell Paari to pay her unpaid living cost amounting to RM191,107.35, which she claimed was owed to her when it was cut off since July 2018.

She also wants a court order for her to be allowed to see the former works minister.

Meeriam is also seeking a one-off payment of RM20 million as lifetime living costs, besides a monthly stipend of RM25,000.

She is also seeking a declaration that she had been cared for and supported by Samy Vellu for close to 40 years, an injunction against Vell Paari or his agents where she was prevented from seeing the former senior minister, and an injunction to prevent Vell Paari to control of his father's finances resulting in payment to her being stopped.

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