KUALA LUMPUR – Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has initiated a defamation suit against Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin over his remark that the former pocketed RM15 million as Selangor’s economic adviser, among a slew of slanderous and libellous statements.
This is confirmed via a writ of summons and statement of claim filed by Anwar at the high court here this morning that were sighted by The Vibes.
It comes just days after Anwar sent a legal notice to Muhyiddin on December 7 demanding that the Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman apologise and retract his statements made two days earlier during a ceramah in conjunction with the Padang Serai by-election.
The legal letter issued by his lawyers S.N. Nair & Partners had given Muhyiddin three days to take the necessary action and provide feedback, failing which Anwar would proceed with the defamation suit.
Among other things, Muhyiddin had claimed that Anwar had abused his power as an MP, was a liar and an unethical individual who had betrayed the people’s mandate, besides receiving a RM15 million as adviser to the Selangor government.
Muhyiddin’s speech was uploaded on TikTok by user @beritakini8, and has since garnered over 1.1 million views.
On the same day the notice of demand was sent to Muhyiddin, Juwairiya Zulkifli, who is political secretary to Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari, had refuted Muhyiddin’s allegation pertaining to the RM15 million claim.
In a Facebook post, Juwairiya had explained that Anwar only received RM1 annually from the state as a symbolic salary.
Anwar was appointed Selangor economic adviser in November 2009 when the late Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim was menteri besar, continuing to hold the post when the state was led by Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali.
In Anwar’s statement of claim, he noted that a day after his notice of demand was sent to Muhyiddin on December 7, the defendant went on to publish the entire speech from the Padang Serai ceramah on his Facebook account.
Anwar asserted that Muhyiddin’s speech had included defamatory words that are slanderous, false, and disparaging, and that a subsequent news article publishing Muhyiddin’s statement was libellous.
Anwar, who is Pakatan Harapan chairman, went on to claim that the defendant’s allegation had painted him as unreliable, untruthful, unethical, unprincipled, a corrupt person, a hypocrite, of ill repute, and not a good Muslim.
He said Muhyiddin’s slanderous and libellous words published have been done maliciously with impunity, without due regard to the truth of the matter and are seriously prejudicial and detrimental to his reputation.
As a result of the remarks, Anwar said his reputation has been irreparably damaged, with his character and social standing severely tarnished and degraded, and that he has been exposed to severe public ridicule, hatred, and humiliation.
“The plaintiff has suffered severe mental distress, anxiety, and shame as a result, for which the plaintiff is entitled to claim aggravated and exemplary damages,” the statement of claim read.
Apart from aggravated and exemplary damages, Anwar is also seeking general and compensatory damages, as well as an injunction to restrain Muhyiddin from further uttering or publishing similar defamatory words.
Additionally, Anwar also demanded an interest of 5% on the judgement sum from the date of action accrued until the date of full settlement, costs, and any such other reliefs that the court may deem fit. – The Vibes, December 20, 2022
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