KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA - Model-cum-actress Amber Chia faces a suit from her one-time business partner Yap Wen-Ji.

Yap, who created and produced the model search series Malaysia's Supermodel Search, yesterday filed a suit for defamation against Chia at the High Court here.

Represented by her lawyer, Kenneth Tan Chik Wai, Yap is suing Chia in relation to statements she made in the Sin Chew Daily newspaper on Oct 6.

She has also named Sin Chew Corporation and the newspaper's editor-in-chief Pook Ah Lek as defendants.

She is seeking general damages of RM10 million($4.128million), aggravated damages of RM5 million, interest, an injunction restraining Chia, Sin Chew Corporation and Pook from further publishing defamatory statements, and an order that Chia retracts her statements and apologises within five days.

Tan said the newspaper published an article on Oct 6 which stated that Chia was allegedly cheated by her business partner.

Yap claimed that her reputation had been severely damaged and the article had resulted in sponsors withdrawing from the show.