Anwar sues Kedah MB for defamation over campaign speech
He says the statement caused him to be insulted and ridiculed by the community, and had damaged his image and reputation.
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Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has filed a lawsuit against Kedah Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor on allegedly defamatory remarks linking him with immoral behaviour made during a "PN Best Tambun Tour" campaign.
Anwar, 75, as the plaintiff, filed the suit through Messrs SN Nair & Partners at the Alor Setar High Court, Kedah, naming Sanusi, 48, as the sole defendant.
According to the statement of claim, Anwar alleged that on Nov 13, Sanusi, who is also Kedah Perikatan National (PN) chairman, gave an election speech at a talk in support of the PN candidate for the Tambun parliamentary seat, Ahmad Faizal Azumu, with hundreds of visitors in attendance.
Anwar said the speech had been published or caused to be republished and broadcast live on Facebook under the name "Faizal Azumu" which received more than 88,000 views, 531 reactions, 58 shares and 384 comments as of the date of filing the suit.
The Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman claimed that on Nov 14, defamatory statements from the video were quoted by Malaysiakini with articles published in Bahasa Malaysia and English.
According to Anwar, the statement meant that the plaintiff had obtained a royal pardon through fraud while remaining not pardoned, and that he had deceived the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and was a liar, untrustworthy and unethical, and had betrayed the people's mandate.
He claimed that the statements were untrue, repulsive and malicious with the aim of inciting the public and creating personal hatred towards him and PH during the campaign period leading up to the 15th general election on Nov 19.
Anwar said the statement caused him to be insulted and ridiculed by the community, and had damaged his image and reputation as the president of PKR, PH chairman, MP for Tambun, the 10th prime minister and finance minister.
Anwar said that on Nov 16, he had demanded through his lawyer that the defendant retract, apologise, promise not to repeat the matter and pay damages to the plaintiff. However, the defendant through a lawyer's letter dated Dec 7, replied expressing an unequivocal acknowledgment of the facts in the speech.
Anwar is seeking general, severe and exemplary damages in addition to an order to prevent the defendant from continuing to reveal, compose, publish or publish similar statements against the plaintiff as well as other reliefs deemed fit by the court.
When contacted by Bernama, lawyer SN Nair, representing Anwar, said the suit was filed at 4.30pm.
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