KUALA LUMPUR: Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil will apply to have his suits against Wan Muhammad Azri Wan Deris, also known as Papagomo, Ahmad Dusuki Abd Rani and Mohd Fauzan Madzlan be heard jointly.
Lawyer Asheeq Ali Sethi Alivi, representing Fahmi, told Judicial Commissioner Roz Mawar Rozain this during the case management on Wednesday (Aug 14).
"We will file the application next week," said the lawyer.
Lawyer Nur Naqibah Sakinah Abdul Razak, representing Mohd Fauzan and lawyer Mohd Jamil Yaacob, representing Ahmad Dusuki, did not object to it.
Roz Mawar then set Oct 7 to hear the application and ordered the parties involved to file their witness statements by Sept 27.
Fahmi had filed separate suits against the three defendants on Sept 5 last year over an allegation that he gave a political speech at a mosque in Rawang, Selangor.
According to his statement of claim, Fahmi alleges Wan Muhammad Azri, independent preacher Ahmad Dusuki and Mohd Fauzan, who is the owner of the Facebook account "N13 Kuang”, of publishing defamatory statements accusing him of misusing a place of worship, namely a mosque, for election campaigning purposes and acting contrary to the decrees and orders of the Sultan of Selangor.
Fahmi claims that the defamatory statements were published on Mohd Fauzan’s Facebook account, as well as on Ahmad Dusuki’s Facebook and Instagram accounts on July 31, 2023, and on Wan Muhammad Azri’s TikTok and Facebook accounts on Aug 1, the same year.
According to Fahmi, the statements by the defendants are baseless, and the Selangor Islamic Religious Council has confirmed that he did not make any political speech as alleged by the defendants.
He is seeking general, aggravated, or exemplary damages and an injunction to prevent all defendants from repeating or causing the republication of the defamatory statements. - Bernama
