JOHOR BARU – Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has sent Pendang MP Datuk Awang Hashim a letter of demand over alleged defamatory comments in a TikTok video.
According to the letter of demand sighted by The Vibes, it referred to a video uploaded by TikTok user @asriasri64chanel containing footage of Awang speaking to reporters at the Dewan Rakyat lobby on February 21.
In the video uploaded a day after Awang spoke to the press, the Pendang MP told reporters that Anwar was appointed prime minister by illegal means.
The following are excerpts of Awang’s speech which he considers defamatory:
“…Kerajaan PH yang diketuai oleh aa… PM10 ini aa… dia sendiri pun secara… bagi saya... illegal number yang menyebabkan dia jadi perdana menteri…”
(The Pakatan Harapan government led by the 10th prime minister, for me, is by an illegal number which made him prime minister”
“…Ini satu percaturan yang di luar jangkaanlah… bagi saya… menyebabkan dia menjadi menteri”
(This is an unexpected chess move which for me made him a minister)
“…This is is aa… satu satu satu strategi… satu strategi yang mana boleh jadi satu kaedah yang dipanggil aa… mengugut aa.…”
(This is a strategy where it can be considered a threat)
“…Kami sebagai pembangkang… ugutlah apa saja…”
(We as the opposition, you can threaten with anything)
The video has garnered over 20,600 views, 322 comments, 159 likes, and 47 shares.
In the demand letter, Anwar’s lawyers reminded Awang that the king had exercised his constitutional powers legally when appointing Anwar prime minister, warning that his comments could be construed as questioning the monarch’s wisdom.
“In the circumstances, your utterances as per the impugned words are, inter alia, callous, inflammatory, wholly irresponsible, reprehensible, and seditious when you deliberately therein, questioned our client’s majority and the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s wisdom and judgement in appointing our client as the prime minister,” the demand letter read.
Anwar has given Awang three days to retract his statements, apologise, and give an undertaking that those statements will not be repeated again.
Additionally, Anwar has also demanded substantive damages from Awang.
Only yesterday, The Vibes sighted a demand letter issued by law firm Sankara Nair & Partners against Awang for other statements made against Anwar at the Dewan Rakyat as published by Malaysiakini. – The Vibes, February 24, 2023
