By Shikin Louis
KUCHING, Oct 15: Cahya Mata Sarawak Berhad (Cahya Mata) has obtained a court order temporarily stopping its director Dato Sri Mahmud Abu Bekir Taib from inspecting the company’s accounting records, after challenging an earlier ruling that granted him access to them.
Judicial Commissioner Zaleha Mohd Yusuf Pan granted the interim stay at the High Court of Sabah and Sarawak in Kuching today, putting the inspection on hold pending a hearing on Nov 12 to determine whether it should remain suspended while Cahya Mata’s appeal proceeds.
The interim stay follows a long-running dispute over Abu Bekir’s access to Cahya Mata’s financial and accounting records. He filed an originating summons in March 2025 seeking access to the company’s records.
On Oct 8, the High Court allowed his application in part, granting him access to specified accounting records for the 2021 to 2025 financial years. However, it dismissed his application to inspect records belonging to five Cahya Mata subsidiaries.
Cahya Mata subsequently filed a notice of appeal against the decision and applied to suspend the inspection order pending the disposal of the appeal. Today’s interim stay means the inspection cannot proceed for now, although the Oct 8 ruling itself remains in force.
The court has directed both sides to file affidavits and submissions before the Nov 12 hearing. Costs were ordered to be costs in the cause.
When contacted, Abu Bekir’s lawyer, Satinder Singh Sandhu, confirmed that an auditor had been appointed to inspect the records on his client’s behalf and that a copy of the auditor’s licence had been filed in court.
“The written undertaking has been given to the court under Section 245(8) of the Companies Act 2016, including an undertaking that information obtained during the inspection will be disclosed only to Abu Bekir,” Sandhu said.
He added that the inspection order had not been sealed in view of the interim stay.
The records covered by the Oct 8 ruling include management accounts, general ledgers, accounts receivable and payable ledgers, fixed assets ledgers and inventory listings for the 2021 to 2025 financial years.
The court dismissed Abu Bekir’s application to inspect records belonging to Oiltools International Sdn Bhd, Cahya Mata Oiltools Sdn Bhd, Cahya Mata Professionals Sdn Bhd, Cahya Mata Phosphates Industries Sdn Bhd and Cahya Mata Cement Sdn Bhd.
The dismissal was without prejudice to Abu Bekir’s right to seek further relief if access to the subsidiaries’ records later becomes necessary to obtain a true and fair view of Cahya Mata’s affairs.
Abu Bekir was represented by Satinder Singh Sandhu, while Cahya Mata was represented by lawyers Alvin Chong, Jonathan Tay and Ezekiel Chong. — DayakDaily
