KUALA LUMPUR – Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has filed a defamation suit against Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin over the latter’s claim that the Umno president had sought help from the former prime minister to intervene in criminal proceedings.
According to court documents sighted by The Edge, Zahid had filed the suit via Messrs Shahrul Hamidi & Haziq on April 4.
Zahid, who is the Bagan Datuk MP, sought a permanent injunction to stop Muhyiddin from uttering further defamatory statements and is demanding appropriate damages.
He also alleged that Muhyiddin – who is also the Bersatu president – had made the claims while campaigning for the Johor election in Mersing on February 16.
The court has fixed Wednesday for a hearing to be presided by judge Datuk Rozana Ali Yusoff.
In the suit, Zahid is also seeking to prevent Muhyiddin or his agents from repeating the alleged defamatory words on social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Telegram.
Zahid had also demanded for the removal of videos posted on Perikatan Nasional’s Facebook page on February 16 in which Muhyiddin had made the claims.
Prior to this, Zahid in his statement of claim had sent a letter of demand for Muhyiddin to cease and desist uttering defamatory words, and sought RM10 million in damages, apart from a public apology.
The Umno leader had also strongly denied meeting Muhyiddin to seek the then prime minister’s help to intervene in the court proceedings related to the graft charges he was facing.
Zahid added that Muhyiddin’s remarks had inferred that he was not qualified to lead Umno and Barisan Nasional. – The Vibes, April 5, 2022
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