Hanez Suraya to settle civil dispute with former aide

KUALA LUMPUR: Drama actress Hanez Suraya Abdul Aziz (pic) is in the process of settling a civil dispute with her former aide for allegedly defaming her on social media.

The parties on Wednesday met Judge Zainal L. Salleh to try to resolve the matter through mediation.

Speaking to reporters at the Jalan Duta Court Complex's mediation centre, the actress's lawyer Harjit Singh said the parties were in the process of settlement of the defamation suit.

Harjit said the matter was fixed for April 8 to finalise the terms, including a public apology.

When met by media, Hanez Suraya said she had met her former personal assistant, Mohd Fairus Mohd Lazim, during the mediation process in their bid to settle the matter.

"I just asked for his co-operation to settle it," she added.

Lead counsel K.Rajasegaran appeared for the defendant during the mediation process.

In her suit, the 29-year-old actress claimed that Mohd Fairus had spread defamatory words by uploading tweets and photographs against her on Twitter and via Instagram.

Hanez Suraya claimed that certain words had implied that she was snobbish, materialistic, a hypocrite and an immature actress.

In her statement of claim filed on Nov 1 last year, Hanez Suraya, who acted in the Love You Mr. Arrogant  television drama, said Mohd Fairus, 29, started to work for her in July last year.

She claimed she took Mohd Fairus on most of her work trips, locally and abroad, with all expenses paid by her.

Hanez Suraya, who was also an Aura White product ambassador, said early in September 2013, she was told by the Aura White management that she would go to Hong Kong the following month and all costs would be borne by the company.

Hanez Suraya felt that it would be proper for her to take her makeup artist along rather than her aide as the former's services were more needed.

She claimed that upon returning from Jakarta in September, the defendant began coming late for work and instigating her so that she would not be close to her friends.

Following that, she said the defendant bad mouthed her and uploaded her photographs on Twitter and Instagram.

Among others, Hanez Suraya is seeking for damages and an injunction to prevent the defendant from repeating the libel.