[UPDATED] Anwar sues Sanusi for alleged defamatory remarks during GE15

KUALA LUMPUR – Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is suing Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor for allegedly uttering defamatory remarks during the 15th general election campaign period.

In documents sighted by The Vibes, Anwar is seeking an injunction against Sanusi from repeating those slanderous statements.

He is also suing for libel in relation to an article published in a local news portal quoting Sanusi.

Anwar is also seeking an injunction against Sanusi from publishing the said or any similar defamatory words.

The article titled “Kes liwat Anwar: Dulu kesian sungguh, sekarang PAS kata kena ‘pikiaq’” dated November 14, 2022 was published by Malaysiakini in English and Bahasa Malaysia.

Aside from the injunction, the prime minister is seeking general, compensatory, aggravated and exemplary damages.

Sanusi was speaking on stage during a ceramah in Tambun, Perak during the campaigning period. 

Also present at the ceramah were Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, Perak PN state chief Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu and other Perak PN election candidates.

During the ceramah, PN leaders had lambasted Anwar’s credibility, saying he was not suited to be prime minister. 

In a separate defamation suit against Perak PAS commissioner Razman Zakaria, case management is set on January 1 at the Taiping High Court.

Based on his statement of claim, Anwar as plaintiff claimed that on November 6, the defendant made a speech while campaigning in the 15th general election at the Tebuk Pancur night market, which was broadcast live on the defendant’s Facebook under the username “Haji Razman Zakaria” and was viewed over 94,400 times, received over 5,100 reactions, 429 shares and over 2,600 comments at press time.

The Facebook video was then published in an article titled “Razman dakwa Anwar bawa agenda LGBT, bimbang kerjasama PH-BN” dated November 6 in Malay and English in a news portal.

The Tambun MP also claimed that the defamatory statements and published article brought the meaning that he was a liar, practised and supported communist ideology, and encouraged same-gender marriage. – The Vibes, December 13, 2022