KUALA LUMPUR: Former defence minister Mohamad Sabu has filed a lawsuit against a columnist, chief editor and publisher of Harakah over allegations of defamation involving him on the news portal Harakahdaily.
Mohamad, also known as Mat Sabu, filed the lawsuit through Messrs Amin Amirul & Partners at the High Court registry on Oct 28.
He named guest columnist Roslan Shahir Mohd Shahir, Harakah chief editor Wan Nordin Wan Yaacob, and publisher and administrator of Harakah, Galeri Media Serbanika Sdn Bhd, as the first, second and third defendants respectively.
A check on the e-filing system showed that the case has been fixed before deputy registrar Idamasliza Maarof on Jan 7, next year.
In his statement of claim, Mohamad said that the defendants had, together as well as separately, defamed him by publishing defamatory words in an article entitled "Husam: PAN Parti Diktator".
The Parti Amanah Negara president claimed that the defamatory words were meant to say that he was a dictator, irresponsible, had abused his position as a party president, and only carried the orders of DAP.
The plaintiff claimed the defamatory words written by Roslan Shahir, who is the first defendant, was the source for second defendant Wan Nordin to write and allow the article for publication on Harakahdaily.
Mat Sabu said the defamatory words were mala fide (bad intention) and was intended to damage his integrity and credibility.
He added that the Harakahdaily portal was a PAS-friendly media portal, which is a crucial party to the governance in the country.
“Therefore, the defendants have the potential to bring a ‘political profit’ to PAS while making the public hate the plaintiff who is the leader of Amanah, ” it said.
Mohamad claimed that on Sept 24, a notice was sent to all the defendants to retract the defamatory statements and to make an apology to him, but they had failed to do so.
The Kota Raja MP is seeking general, aggravated and exemplary damages, interests as well as a court order for the defendants to apologise and retract the defamatory statements.
He is also seeking an injunction for the defendants and it agents from republishing the defamatory words against him whether verbally or on print.
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