KUALA LUMPUR – Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has applied for a judgment in default against Pendang MP Datuk Awang Solahuddin Hashim for failing to file a statement of defence in response to the prime minister’s defamation suit within the stipulated time period.
Anwar, 75, filed the suit against Awang Solahuddin on March 3 over the latter’s alleged defamatory remarks about the prime minister in the Parliament lobby.
Lawyer Datuk S.N. Nair, representing Anwar, said the writ of summons was served on Awang Solahuddin as the defendant on March 3 and he should have filed a statement of defence by March 21 at the latest.
“During the case management before high court deputy registrar Aisyaf Falina Abdullah today, we informed the court about the failure of the defendant to file a statement of defence within the stipulated time and applied for a judgment in default to be recorded against the defendant.
“After recording our objection, the deputy registrar ordered that the matter be brought before the (judge) for further action. However, the date of case management will be set later,” said Nair when contacted today.
Nair said that although they had raised objections and the court had yet to give any extension of time and instructions to the defendant to file his defence, the Pendang MP’s lawyer had continued with filing it today.
Anwar claimed that Awang Solahuddin had uttered the alleged defamatory remarks at a press conference in the Parliament lobby when attending the Dewan Rakyat sitting on February 21.
He said the remarks, which were recorded in audio and video forms, had been published and caused to be made public.
“On February 21, 2023, the defamatory remarks from the audio and video footage were published or caused to be published by the defendant on TikTok using the account name @asriasri64chanel,” Anwar said in his statement of claim.
The Tambun MP also said the MalaysiaKini portal had, also on February 21, republished part of the defamatory remarks in two of its articles in Malay and English titled “MP PAS: Sikap pendendam Anwar lebih teruk daripada Mahathir” and “Why no LCS charges, MP asks ‘more vindictive than Mahathir’ PM.”
Anwar said the remarks implied that he was vindictive and revengeful and had abused his power as prime minister and finance minister by interfering, disrupting, and arbitrarily instructing Malaysian law enforcers and prosecutors to achieve his personal political agenda.
He claimed that Awang Solahuddin had deliberately and maliciously uttered and published the defamatory remarks to incite the public and create personal hatred against the prime minister, who is now leading the legitimate unity government and is committed to combating all forms of corruption. – Bernama, April 4, 2023
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