Latest news with #Chin
New Straits Times
38 minutes ago
- Entertainment
- New Straits Times
#SHOWBIZ: Yoki Chin's AI tribute to Pirate Queen
THE cutting edge Artificial Intelligence (AI) movie 'Pirate Queen — Zheng Yi Sao' is a first not only for Malaysia and Singapore, but also the world of cinema. It marks the first major achievement for animation movie director Yoki Chin and Future Studios, his company which aims to advance Malaysian AI, creative technology, and digital innovation in cinema. 'Pirate Queen' is a collaboration between creative technology companies of Malaysia and Singapore, namely Future Studios and Fizz Dragon respectively. Chin said: "The movie is a high-seas historical epic inspired by the real-life story of Zheng Yi Sao — a formidable female pirate who rose from poverty and exploitation to command the Red Flag Fleet, the most powerful pirate fleet in Chinese maritime history. "But what truly distinguished Pirate Queen was her unwavering sense of justice. "She led her fleet not just against rival pirates and imperial threats, but also against foreign invaders." In a particularly powerful act, she commanded the destruction of foreign opium ships, a bold strike against the rising tide of colonial exploitation. Her efforts resulted in one of the most successful reconciliations between pirates and the Qing Dynasty. "Furthermore, she advised the Chinese national hero Lin Zexu in his resistance against British imperialism, embodying a fierce patriotism and devotion to her homeland," said Chin. BRAINSTORMING Chin said that the idea behind the movie emerged during early brainstorming sessions with his core creative team. "We chose this story because it is based on a true story which offered a compelling opportunity to push the boundaries of AI-assisted storytelling — blending emotional depth with technological innovation. "This is our first theatrical release where we used AI throughout the entire production pipeline. "We built a distributed team of over 130 creatives from 13 countries, all working remotely. "That in itself came with a lot of coordination — time zones, communication styles, and making sure everyone was in sync," he said. Beyond that, there were some very specific creative challenges. "Keeping the characters visually consistent across different scenes was tricky, especially when working with evolving AI tools. "Lip-syncing voiceovers to match AI-generated visuals was another learning curve, and choreographing fight sequences in a way that felt dynamic and realistic took a lot of trial and error," said Chin. "It pushed us to adapt quickly, stay flexible, and trust both the process and each other." DIGITAL Chin said that the Malaysian and Singaporean creative teams developed organically through a shared interest in AI and digital storytelling. "While some members had worked together in other contexts, for many of us it was our first collaboration. "Despite that, we quickly found common ground through aligned values and creative goals,." Chin chose to join the project because of his love of new technology and good storytelling. "The project offered a rare chance to explore using AI generated content as the main focus while telling a meaningful story. "I'm passionate about narrative craft, and this was an opportunity to reimagine storytelling through an AI lens — one that fuses human emotion with digital creativity," he said. Chin began building the team in March last year. It was a hybrid of constant experimentation and development. "If we were to make a similar film today, with a finalised script and our current setup, we estimate it would take about three months. "We didn't use traditional voice actors. Instead, characters were brought to life through AI, guided by human direction," he said. The AI director acted much like a conductor — shaping performances, expressions, and tone through careful technical and artistic input. "We learnt the value of agile collaboration across borders and disciplines, the importance of deeply understanding new tools before integrating them into creative workflows, and how to develop an artistic instinct for working with AI," said Chin. "These insights will guide us as we continue to innovate and refine our storytelling processes in future projects." POSSIBILITIES Chin said that AI opens up a lot of exciting possibilities, whether it is speeding up concept design, testing creative ideas quickly, or making parts of the production more efficient. "It also comes with challenges, like making sure we use it responsibly and still keep the heart and emotion of real storytelling." Chin said that he does not see AI as a replacement for traditional filmmaking, but more of a creative partner. "We believe the heart of storytelling comes from human emotion, experience and vision. "We are also planning to share what we have learned by helping more people explore AI-generated content to more professionals and non-professionals who are upskilling their content creation skills. "The idea is to guide creators, whether they are from tech or film backgrounds on how to use AI alongside traditional techniques to bring their ideas to life in new and innovative ways," he said. FINAS Chin also said that the National Film Development Corporation or Finas was very supportive and understood the kind of innovation his team was trying to achieve. "We were also supported by Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) and the National AI Office (NAIO)." Chin added that working with the Singaporean team was a great experience. "They brought strong technical skills and a great sense of storytelling. "Everyone brought something unique to the table, and it all came together beautifully." Chin said that he was already working on new stories and ideas where AI can help make the creative process better. "We are also planning our next film by blending live-action talent with AI-generated backgrounds and even mixing AI backgrounds with animated characters." 'Pirate Queen — Zheng Yi Sao' is slated for a theatrical release in July.
The Herald Scotland
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
Trump administration could impact readers, from DEI to book bans
Hazelwood's tour snag sparked a discussion on book communities about how President Donald Trump's recent policies would trickle down to publishing. Amid book banning, border policies, new anti-DEI sentiments and federal library grant cuts, these are the ways the new administration may impact readers. Trump administration's policies shake author tour plans Hazelwood, who is originally from Italy and now resides in the U.S., was booked for several international appearances before she canceled because "it's not possible for me to safely travel outside and then back inside the US," she wrote on Instagram. Canadian bestseller Louise Penny canceled her American tour stops in March because of Trump and "the threat of an unprovoked trade war against Canada" in regards to tariffs, she wrote on Facebook. It's the first time in 20 years Penny has not visited the U.S. on tour: "There are, of course, other things the American president is doing that make visiting the USA unpalatable. Oh, dear. It is so painful to say that," she wrote. But Curtis Chin, the Detroit-based author of "Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant," decided to move his tour abroad after several U.S. colleges canceled book talks with him, citing funding cuts from federal arts grants. "Asian American Heritage Month is May, right? So I'm usually booked giving speeches," he says, but not this year. Around the same time, the John Adams Institute in Amsterdam invited him to talk about his book and being a writer of color in the U.S. during the Trump administration. Then, he got booked at Oxford University and the British Library. Soon, he had 21 events abroad in just one month. "Maybe in America we're not ready to talk about these things, but maybe there are other places," Chin says. Still, it comes with a steep financial loss for Chin. He's losing two months of income because his European stops are unpaid opportunities. With U.S. events, he often makes thousands of dollars per event, occasionally up to $10,000. Authors worry about impact of Trump, DEI backslide In Chin's mind, it's not a coincidence that May was the first AAPI Month he wasn't fully booked with speaking engagements. He also worried about June's Pride Month, another typically busy month for him. His shift to international engagements, he says, feels reminiscent of historical movements of artists of color to Europe to evade discrimination, like James Baldwin and Josephine Baker. "In some small way, I'm in that same tradition where the things that we're writing, the things that we're creating are facing these extraordinary scrutiny and challenges," Chin says. Trump has not issued a proclamation for Pride Month, instead starting June with several actions undermining gains for LGBTQ+ Americans. And though Trump did formally recognize AAPI Month as past presidents have, his efforts to purge DEI practices led major companies like Disney, IBM and Goldman Sachs to publicly scrap DEI initiatives. The majority of organizations have "simply gone quiet" on DEI, according to past reporting from USA TODAY. And in early May, Trump fired longtime Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden, the first Black American and first woman to head the library, because of her "pursuit of DEI." Hayden had been leading the "Of the People" initiative to bring more works from Black, Indigenous, Hispanic or Latino, Asian American and Pacific Islander and other communities of color into the library's collections. Books typically take between two and three years to publish. If publishers follow in the suit of major companies turning away from - or staying silent - on DEI, we may not see the effect until years down the line. "It actually occurred to me, maybe I should hold off and wait until Trump is out of office before I try to sell my book because I don't know if publishers are afraid of publishing books by people of color. Because maybe there's a perception that these books may be banned, these books may not be bought by libraries," Chin says. "But then I thought to myself, I can't be afraid." Grant cuts threaten libraries, public spaces for readers In March, Trump issued an executive order that terminated dozens of federal grants held by libraries, archives and museums. The Institute of Museum and Library Services, one of those agencies, distributes millions of dollars in congressionally approved funds to libraries across the country. A federal judge has since blocked the Trump administration, but uncertainty about the state of funding means some libraries have already abandoned programs and implemented hiring freezes. The administration's termination of grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Endowment for the Arts also impacts authors and academics. Michigan Humanities, the state affiliate of NEH, was left with a $900,000 budget loss after the cuts, according to the Detroit Free Press. One shuttered program is Great Michigan Read, which "engages 300 organizations in all 83 counties," according to the organization's president and CEO. This year, Chin was the recipient of the annual grant, which would normally buy around 6,000 copies of Chin's book and send him on a 15-city tour of the state. Then he got word that the program could not proceed because of the funding cuts. The rollback is particularly devastating to Chin because, growing up in Detroit and Ann Arbor, he didn't see himself represented in the books in his classrooms and libraries. "That's why we write, because we want to be seen and we want to help other people navigate their lives, right?" Chin says. "They're denying us an audience because they don't like what we have to say. They don't like our vision of the country. But, I would argue that our vision of the country is a loving vision of America. It's an open, embracing vision of America." The publishing world's most influential voices are also speaking out. Before the judge blocked Trump's executive order to eliminate IMLS funding, four of the Big Five publishers - Hachette, Macmillan, Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster - as well as Sourcebooks, called on Congress to reject the order. And at this year's PEN America Literary Gala, actress and SJP Lit imprint founder Sarah Jessica Parker said she was "enraged" at threats to libraries and librarians across the country. "To censor books is to limit imagination, curiosity, connection, empathy and inspiration. Libraries aren't just buildings with shelves, they are a beacon," Parker said. "They are warm in the winter and cool in summer, and they are sanctuaries of possibility. They are the heartbeat of a neighborhood." Book banning continues in libraries, classrooms A late March order by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth led to 400 books being removed from the U.S. Naval Academy's library to "comply with directives outlined in executive orders issued by the president," according to a statement from a Navy spokesperson reported by The New York Times. Most of the banned titles - a ban is any restriction on access, according to the American Library Association - discuss race, gender or sexuality. Books embraced by white supremacists, like "Mein Kampf," "The Camp of Saints" and "The Bell Curve" remained on the shelves. One ongoing Supreme Court case, Mahmoud v. Taylor, appears likely to rule that parents can opt their children out of classroom books that include representations of gender and sexuality that go against their religion. The Trump administration agrees with the parents. PEN America has filed an amicus brief in support of Thomas W. Taylor, the respondent in the case representing Montgomery County Public Schools. In a press release, the organization warned a ruling in favor of the parents could "turbocharge the already dire state of book bans and educational censorship." "An opt-out would chill freedom of speech for students, teachers and authors and would constitute viewpoint discrimination, raising core First Amendment concerns," PEN America's Chief Legal Officer Eileen Hershenov said in the release. "Both legally and practically, this would deny students access to diverse literature that spurs empathy, understanding and prepares them for lives in a pluralistic society." Clare Mulroy is USA TODAY's Books Reporter, where she covers buzzy releases, chats with authors and dives into the culture of reading. Find her on Instagram, subscribe to our weekly Books newsletter or tell her what you're reading at cmulroy@
USA Today
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Trump administration could change the way we read, from book bans to author talks
Trump administration could change the way we read, from book bans to author talks Show Caption Hide Caption US schools banned 10,000 books last school year alone It's Banned Books Week in the U.S. and it comes as we're learning more than 10,000 books were banned in public schools nationwide last year. Straight Arrow News Despite the international buzz over her latest romance novel "Deep End," author Ali Hazelwood told fans she had to cancel her U.K. book tour. In a social media post, the bestselling romance author who was born in Italy cited border concerns with leaving and reentering the U.S., mirroring concerns from tourists, noncitizens and visa and green card holders about the Trump administration's recent deportation and border actions. Hazelwood's tour snag sparked a discussion on book communities about how President Donald Trump's recent policies would trickle down to publishing. Amid book banning, border policies, new anti-DEI sentiments and federal library grant cuts, these are the ways the new administration may impact readers. Trump administration's policies shake author tour plans Hazelwood, who is originally from Italy and now resides in the U.S., was booked for several international appearances before she canceled because "it's not possible for me to safely travel outside and then back inside the US," she wrote on Instagram. But Curtis Chin, the Detroit-based author of "Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant," decided to move his tour abroad after several U.S. colleges canceled book talks with him, citing funding cuts from federal arts grants. "Asian American Heritage Month is May, right? So I'm usually booked giving speeches," he says, but not this year. Around the same time, the John Adams Institute in Amsterdam invited him to talk about his book and being a writer of color in the U.S. during the Trump administration. Then, he got booked at Oxford University and the British Library. Soon, he had 21 events abroad in just one month. "Maybe in America we're not ready to talk about these things, but maybe there are other places," Chin says. Still, it comes with a steep financial loss for Chin. He's losing two months of income because his European stops are unpaid opportunities. With U.S. events, he often makes thousands of dollars per event, occasionally up to $10,000. Authors worry about impact of Trump, DEI backslide In Chin's mind, it's not a coincidence that May was the first AAPI Month he wasn't fully booked with speaking engagements. He also worried about June's Pride Month, another typically busy month for him. His shift to international engagements, he says, feels reminiscent of historical movements of artists of color to Europe to evade discrimination, like James Baldwin and Josephine Baker. "In some small way, I'm in that same tradition where the things that we're writing, the things that we're creating are facing these extraordinary scrutiny and challenges," Chin says. Trump has not issued a proclamation for Pride Month, instead starting June with several actions undermining gains for LGBTQ+ Americans. And though Trump did formally recognize AAPI Month as past presidents have, his efforts to purge DEI practices led major companies like Disney, IBM and Goldman Sachs to publicly scrap DEI initiatives. The majority of organizations have "simply gone quiet" on DEI, according to past reporting from USA TODAY. And in early May, Trump fired longtime Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden, the first Black American and first woman to head the library, because of her "pursuit of DEI." Hayden had been leading the "Of the People" initiative to bring more works from Black, Indigenous, Hispanic or Latino, Asian American and Pacific Islander and other communities of color into the library's collections. Books typically take between two and three years to publish. If publishers follow in the suit of major companies turning away from – or staying silent – on DEI, we may not see the effect until years down the line. "It actually occurred to me, maybe I should hold off and wait until Trump is out of office before I try to sell my book because I don't know if publishers are afraid of publishing books by people of color. Because maybe there's a perception that these books may be banned, these books may not be bought by libraries," Chin says. "But then I thought to myself, I can't be afraid." Grant cuts threaten libraries, public spaces for readers In March, Trump issued an executive order that terminated dozens of federal grants held by libraries, archives and museums. The Institute of Museum and Library Services, one of those agencies, distributes millions of dollars in congressionally approved funds to libraries across the country. A federal judge has since blocked the Trump administration, but uncertainty about the state of funding means some libraries have already abandoned programs and implemented hiring freezes. The administration's termination of grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Endowment for the Arts also impacts authors and academics. Michigan Humanities, the state affiliate of NEH, was left with a $900,000 budget loss after the cuts, according to the Detroit Free Press. One shuttered program is Great Michigan Read, which "engages 300 organizations in all 83 counties," according to the organization's president and CEO. This year, Chin was the recipient of the annual grant, which would normally buy around 6,000 copies of Chin's book and send him on a 15-city tour of the state. Then he got word that the program could not proceed because of the funding cuts. The rollback is particularly devastating to Chin because, growing up in Detroit and Ann Arbor, he didn't see himself represented in the books in his classrooms and libraries. "That's why we write, because we want to be seen and we want to help other people navigate their lives, right?" Chin says. "They're denying us an audience because they don't like what we have to say. They don't like our vision of the country. But, I would argue that our vision of the country is a loving vision of America. It's an open, embracing vision of America." The publishing world's most influential voices are also speaking out. Before the judge blocked Trump's executive order to eliminate IMLS funding, four of the Big Five publishers – Hachette, Macmillan, Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster – as well as Sourcebooks, called on Congress to reject the order. And at this year's PEN America Literary Gala, actress and SPJ Lit imprint founder Sarah Jessica Parker said she was "enraged" at threats to libraries and librarians across the country. "To censor books is to limit imagination, curiosity, connection, empathy and inspiration. Libraries aren't just buildings with shelves, they are a beacon," Parker said. "They are warm in the winter and cool in summer, and they are sanctuaries of possibility. They are the heartbeat of a neighborhood." Book banning continues in libraries, classrooms A late March order by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth led to 400 books being removed from the U.S. Naval Academy's library to "comply with directives outlined in executive orders issued by the president," according to a statement from a Navy spokesperson reported by The New York Times. Most of the banned titles – a ban is any restriction on access, according to the American Library Association – discuss race, gender or sexuality. Books embraced by white supremacists, like "Mein Kampf," "The Camp of Saints" and "The Bell Curve" remained on the shelves. One ongoing Supreme Court case, Mahmoud v. Taylor, appears likely to rule that parents can opt their children out of classroom books that include representations of gender and sexuality that go against their religion. The Trump administration agrees with the parents. PEN America has filed an amicus brief in support of Thomas W. Taylor, the respondent in the case representing Montgomery County Public Schools. In a press release, the organization warned a ruling in favor of the parents could "turbocharge the already dire state of book bans and educational censorship." "An opt-out would chill freedom of speech for students, teachers and authors and would constitute viewpoint discrimination, raising core First Amendment concerns," PEN America's Chief Legal Officer Eileen Hershenov said in the release. "Both legally and practically, this would deny students access to diverse literature that spurs empathy, understanding and prepares them for lives in a pluralistic society." Clare Mulroy is USA TODAY's Books Reporter, where she covers buzzy releases, chats with authors and dives into the culture of reading. Find her on Instagram, subscribe to our weekly Books newsletter or tell her what you're reading at cmulroy@
USA Today
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
How the Trump administration could change the way we read, from book bans to author talks
How the Trump administration could change the way we read, from book bans to author talks Show Caption Hide Caption US schools banned 10,000 books last school year alone It's Banned Books Week in the U.S. and it comes as we're learning more than 10,000 books were banned in public schools nationwide last year. Straight Arrow News Despite the international buzz over her latest romance novel "Deep End," author Ali Hazelwood told fans she had to cancel her U.K. book tour. In a social media post, the bestselling romance author who was born in Italy cited border concerns with leaving and reentering the U.S., mirroring concerns from tourists, noncitizens and visa and green card holders about the Trump administration's recent deportation and border actions. Hazelwood's tour snag sparked a discussion on book communities about how President Donald Trump's recent policies would trickle down to publishing. Amid book banning, border policies, new anti-DEI sentiments and federal library grant cuts, these are the ways the new administration may impact readers. Trump administration's policies shake author tour plans Hazelwood, who is originally from Italy and now resides in the U.S., was booked for several international appearances before she canceled because "it's not possible for me to safely travel outside and then back inside the US," she wrote on Instagram. But Curtis Chin, the Detroit-based author of "Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant," decided to move his tour abroad after several U.S. colleges canceled book talks with him, citing funding cuts from federal arts grants. "Asian American Heritage Month is May, right? So I'm usually booked giving speeches," he says, but not this year. Around the same time, the John Adams Institute in Amsterdam invited him to talk about his book and being a writer of color in the U.S. during the Trump administration. Then, he got booked at Oxford University and the British Library. Soon, he had 21 events abroad in just one month. "Maybe in America we're not ready to talk about these things, but maybe there are other places," Chin says. Still, it comes with a steep financial loss for Chin. He's losing two months of income because his European stops are unpaid opportunities. With U.S. events, he often makes thousands of dollars per event, occasionally up to $10,000. Authors worry about impact of Trump, DEI backslide In Chin's mind, it's not a coincidence that May was the first AAPI Month he wasn't fully booked with speaking engagements. He also worried about June's Pride Month, another typically busy month for him. His shift to international engagements, he says, feels reminiscent of historical movements of artists of color to Europe to evade discrimination, like James Baldwin and Josephine Baker. "In some small way, I'm in that same tradition where the things that we're writing, the things that we're creating are facing these extraordinary scrutiny and challenges," Chin says. Trump has not issued a proclamation for Pride Month, instead starting June with several actions undermining gains for LGBTQ+ Americans. And though Trump did formally recognize AAPI Month as past presidents have, his efforts to purge DEI practices led major companies like Disney, IBM and Goldman Sachs to publicly scrap DEI initiatives. The majority of organizations have "simply gone quiet" on DEI, according to past reporting from USA TODAY. And in early May, Trump fired longtime Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden, the first Black American and first woman to head the library, because of her "pursuit of DEI." Hayden had been leading the "Of the People" initiative to bring more works from Black, Indigenous, Hispanic or Latino, Asian American and Pacific Islander and other communities of color into the library's collections. Books typically take between two and three years to publish. If publishers follow in the suit of major companies turning away from – or staying silent – on DEI, we may not see the effect until years down the line. "It actually occurred to me, maybe I should hold off and wait until Trump is out of office before I try to sell my book because I don't know if publishers are afraid of publishing books by people of color. Because maybe there's a perception that these books may be banned, these books may not be bought by libraries," Chin says. "But then I thought to myself, I can't be afraid." Grant cuts threaten libraries, public spaces for readers In March, Trump issued an executive order that terminated dozens of federal grants held by libraries, archives and museums. The Institute of Museum and Library Services, one of those agencies, distributes millions of dollars in congressionally approved funds to libraries across the country. A federal judge has since blocked the Trump administration, but uncertainty about the state of funding means some libraries have already abandoned programs and implemented hiring freezes. The administration's termination of grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Endowment for the Arts also impacts authors and academics. Michigan Humanities, the state affiliate of NEH, was left with a $900,000 budget loss after the cuts, according to the Detroit Free Press. One shuttered program is Great Michigan Read, which "engages 300 organizations in all 83 counties," according to the organization's president and CEO. This year, Chin was the recipient of the annual grant, which would normally buy around 6,000 copies of Chin's book and send him on a 15-city tour of the state. Then he got word that the program could not proceed because of the funding cuts. The rollback is particularly devastating to Chin because, growing up in Detroit and Ann Arbor, he didn't see himself represented in the books in his classrooms and libraries. "That's why we write, because we want to be seen and we want to help other people navigate their lives, right?" Chin says. "They're denying us an audience because they don't like what we have to say. They don't like our vision of the country. But, I would argue that our vision of the country is a loving vision of America. It's an open, embracing vision of America." The publishing world's most influential voices are also speaking out. Before the judge blocked Trump's executive order to eliminate IMLS funding, four of the Big Five publishers – Hachette, Macmillan, Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster – as well as Sourcebooks, called on Congress to reject the order. And at this year's PEN America Literary Gala, actress and SPJ Lit imprint founder Sarah Jessica Parker said she was "enraged" at threats to libraries and librarians across the country. "To censor books is to limit imagination, curiosity, connection, empathy and inspiration. Libraries aren't just buildings with shelves, they are a beacon," Parker said. "They are warm in the winter and cool in summer, and they are sanctuaries of possibility. They are the heartbeat of a neighborhood." Book banning continues in libraries, classrooms A late March order by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth led to 400 books being removed from the U.S. Naval Academy's library to "comply with directives outlined in executive orders issued by the president," according to a statement from a Navy spokesperson reported by The New York Times. Most of the banned titles – a ban is any restriction on access, according to the American Library Association – discuss race, gender or sexuality. Books embraced by white supremacists, like "Mein Kampf," "The Camp of Saints" and "The Bell Curve" remained on the shelves. One ongoing Supreme Court case, Mahmoud v. Taylor, appears likely to rule that parents can opt their children out of classroom books that include representations of gender and sexuality that go against their religion. The Trump administration agrees with the parents. PEN America has filed an amicus brief in support of Thomas W. Taylor, the respondent in the case representing Montgomery County Public Schools. In a press release, the organization warned a ruling in favor of the parents could "turbocharge the already dire state of book bans and educational censorship." "An opt-out would chill freedom of speech for students, teachers and authors and would constitute viewpoint discrimination, raising core First Amendment concerns," PEN America's Chief Legal Officer Eileen Hershenov said in the release. "Both legally and practically, this would deny students access to diverse literature that spurs empathy, understanding and prepares them for lives in a pluralistic society." Clare Mulroy is USA TODAY's Books Reporter, where she covers buzzy releases, chats with authors and dives into the culture of reading. Find her on Instagram, subscribe to our weekly Books newsletter or tell her what you're reading at cmulroy@
The Star
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Star
Warisan can sue defectors RM10mil but may not get full amount, says lawyer
KOTA KINABALU: Parti Warisan can pursue legal action against those who betray the party but may not get the RM10mil they seek, says a lawyer. Datuk Roger Chin said while the party can sue if they choose, any chance of success would depend on contractual validity and whether the RM10mil penalty is considered "reasonable." He said the case involving former PKR vice-president Zuraida Kamaruddin sets the legal precedent. In the case, the KL High Court ruled that Zuraida had signed a legally binding bond promising RM10mil if she defected and ordered her to pay the party that amount. However, the Court of Appeal deemed the sum as "unreasonable and extravagant" under Section 75 of the Contract Act, and reduced it to RM100,000 (minus costs). "This ruling confirms that while bonding candidates is legally permissible, courts will significantly reduce penalties considered punitive or out of proportion," said Chin, who is also former Sabah Law Society president. He said Warisan president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal's recent statement that party candidates would be asked to sign a loyalty pledge and defectors would be sued RM10mil is a mirror of the PKR bond He said courts would evaluate two key criteria – the validity of the contract (i.e. the bond must be properly signed, with informed consent) and the reasonableness of the sum, which the court would compare to actual losses incurred. "Based on the Zuraida precedent, RM10mil would almost certainly be deemed excessive," Chin said. On Tuesday (June 17), Shafie warned that Warisan candidates contesting in the upcoming Sabah state election who act against the party would face a RM10mil penalty.
