KUALA LUMPUR: Seven police reports have been lodged concerning an issue involving Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh.
Dang Wangi OCPD Asst Comm Sulizmie Affendy Sulaiman confirmed that the reports were filed several days prior.
"I confirm that Dang Wangi district police headquarters has received seven reports on a case involving her (Yeoh).
"The matter is still under investigation," he said on Saturday (Dec 28).
Previously, an NGO called for Yeoh to resign from her cabinet post after the Kuala Lumpur High Court dismissed a defamation suit she filed against former Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan.
The remarks in question were made during a forum at Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) four years ago.
Judicial Commissioner Arziah Mohamed Apandi ruled on Monday (Dec 23), finding that the plaintiff failed to establish that the defendant’s statements were defamatory.
"I find that in this case, the occasion (where the forum was held) to be privileged, no malice was proven, and the defendant had reasonable grounds for his statements based on the plaintiff's admissions and writings (in her book 'Becoming Hannah') and the publication (of the defendant's statements) was beyond his control," she said.
JC Arziah further stated that the constitutional right to freedom of expression must be robustly protected, especially in matters of public interest and statements made during privileged occasions.
Yeoh's legal counsel has filed an appeal in the Court of Appeal on Thursday (Dec 26), challenging the High Court's decision to dismiss her defamation suit against Musa.
Yeoh stated that while she respects the judicial process, she has instructed her counsel to request that the appeal be heard expeditiously.
"I have been advised by my counsel that the full written grounds of judgment from the High Court have not yet been provided. As of now, only a brief explanation is available, listed in writing on the court’s e-review system on Dec 23.
"Therefore, it would be premature at this stage to draw any conclusions about the High Court's overall decision and the reasons behind it," she said.
In 2020, Yeoh filed a suit against Musa over statements made during a forum at UiTM on Jan 30 that year.
She claimed that in his speech, Musa accused her of writing her book to turn Malaysia into a Christian nation, of having connections with evangelists and Jews to undermine Islam and Malaysia, and of prioritising her interests over the nation's.
She argued that Musa's statements in his speech were untrue, false, and unfounded and that they were made with malicious intent to tarnish her good name and reputation.
