KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court has allowed Fahmi Fadzil's application to strike out a counterclaim by independent speaker Ahmad Dusuki Abd Rani.
Lawyer Asheeq Ali Sethi Alivi, representing Fahmi, said Judicial Commissioner Roz Mawar Rozain also ordered Ahmad Dusuki to pay RM5,000 costs to the Communications Minister.
"The court allowed Fahmi's application on the grounds that Ahmad Dusuki's counterclaim did not disclose a reasonable cause of action.
"As such, the entire counterclaim submitted by Ahmad Dusuki against Fahmi is struck out and the court set April 6 to 8, 2026, to hear the suit," he said when contacted by Bernama on Monday (May 27).
Also at the proceedings was lawyer Ananciata Diego, also representing Fahmi, while Ahmad Dusuki was represented by lawyers Mohd Jamil Yaacob and Nur Adeeba Ainaa.
Fahmi, who is Lembah Pantai MP, filed the suit against Ahmad Dusuki on Sept 5 last year, accusing him of abusing a place of worship, which is a mosque, to campaign for an election and had acted contrary to the orders of the Sultan of Selangor.
Fahmi claimed that the defamatory words were posted on an Instagram account belonging to Ahmad Dusuki on July 31, 2023.
According to Fahmi, the slanderous statements were baseless and the Selangor Islamic Religious Council had confirmed that he did not give any political speech as alleged by the defendant.
He also claimed that the defamatory statements were made to defame him to gain cheap publicity or create a sensation in the national political arena, as well as to tarnish his reputation as an MP and a minister.
Ahmad Dusuki then filed a counterclaim against Fahmi on Oct 19, 2023, claiming, among others, that Fahmi defamed him and made false statements against him. – Bernama
