Sharifah Aini freed of defamation charge

PETALING JAYA: Datuk Sharifah Aini Syed Jaafar, accused of defaming pop icon Siti Nurhaliza Tarudin through an e-mail, was given a discharge not amounting to an acquittal by a magistrate’s court here yesterday. 

“The defamation charge needs a complaint to be made in accordance with the provisions under Section 131 of the Criminal Procedure Code. If there is no complaint made, then the court cannot consider the offence committed,” said magistrate Azroul Hisham Azulan. 

Sharifah Aini: ‘It is time to geton with my life’

He added: “At this stage, where the full trial has not started, it is therefore appropriate for the accused to be given a discharge not amounting to an acquittal because this court has no jurisdiction to hear the case.” 

Azroul had on Dec 21 last year ordered both the defence and prosecution to submit on the issue of there being no complaint by Siti Nurhaliza or the public prosecutor. 

Sharifah Aini, 53, was accused of sending an e-mail containing derogatory statements about Siti Nurhaliza to Ahmad Shaharil Jamaludin, Sharifah Aini’s adopted brother, on Aug 24, 2004. 

On Dec 1, 2004, she claimed trial to committing the offence. 

Speaking to reporters later, Sharifah Aini said she had mixed feelings over the court decision and had no reason to celebrate. 

“It did not give me a chance to tell my side of the story. I have gone through humiliation and stress for over a year and I am tired and upset. It is time for me to get on with my life,” she added. 

Sharifah Aini said perhaps one day she would have a chance to tell the truth. 

To this, her counsel Datuk Muhammad Shafee Abdullah said perhaps she could write a book on this.  

Sharifah Aini nodded, saying that it was a good idea.  

According to Shafee, the effect of the court decision was as if “Sharifah had not been charged at all for this case”.