KUALA LUMPUR (March 25): Turiya Bhd and civil engineering firm Chase Perdana Sdn Bhd are suing Johns Hopkins University and Johns Hopkins Medicine International LLC (defendants) for allegedly breaching a contract to set up a medical university, research centre and teaching hospital here.

This is pursuant to a writ and statement of claim filed in the Kuala Lumpur High Court on Feb 26.

In a filing with Bursa Malaysia today, Turiya said the breach of contract and/or misrepresentation arose from a collaboration between Turiya and Chase Perdana with the defendants towards the establishment of a newly developed medical university, research centre and teaching hospital in Kuala Lumpur and the management of a Johns Hopkins affiliated graduate programme thereat.

"Turiya and Chase Perdana Sdn Bhd are claiming for general damages, aggravated damages, interests, costs, and any other relief the court deems fit and appropriate," said the group.

The matter has been fixed for case management at the KL High Court on March 28.

To recap, Turiya had signed an agreement with John Hopkins to open the first private, four-year medical school and teaching hospital in Malaysia back in November 2010, via a partnership with Perdana University, a subsidiary of Academic Medical Centre Sdn Bhd, which in turn is a 20%-owned associate of Turiya.

However, the parties to the agreement had terminated their collaboration in March 2014 following a dispute.

Turiya shares closed unchanged at 17 sen today, giving it a market capitalisation of RM37.74 million.