Anwar sues Muhyiddin over RM15mil payment claim

KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is suing Perikatan Nasional chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin over the latter's allegation that he (Anwar) was paid RM15mil while he was the economic adviser to Selangor.

The writ of summons was filed by Messrs SN Nair & Partners at the High Court registry on Tuesday (Dec 20).

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In the statement of claim, Anwar said Muhyiddin made those claims during an election speech at Taman Selasih in Kulim on Dec 5, in support of Perikatan Nasional candidate Datuk Azman Nasrudin.

Excerpts of the speech were then republished on the TikTok platform via an account under the name "@beritakini8".

The video garnered more than 1.1 million views, 6,061 comments, more than 21,400 likes, more than 1,360 favourites and 2,169 shares as of Dec 7.

Anwar said the defendant then republished his entire speech on his Facebook account under the name "Muhyiddin Yassin", which remains accessible.

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The plaintiff said the slanderous words were meant to say that he was unreliable and untruthful about accepting millions from the Selangor state government as the economic adviser, that he was unethical, unprincipled, a corrupt, a hypocrite and not a good Muslim.

He is seeking general, compensatory, aggravated and exemplary damages.

The plaintiff is also seeking an injunction to restrain the defendant from repeating the words.

Through his lawyers, Anwar had previously sent Muhyiddin a letter of demand on Dec 7 for an apology and retraction of the allegations.