The High Court has dismissed an application by Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Youth chief Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin to strike out a defamation suit filed by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom over remarks in connection with Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s “qazaf” (criminal defamation).
Judge Datuk Nor Bee Ariffin made the decision in chambers in the presence of lawyers Adnan Seman alias Abdullah, representing Jamil Khir, and Fahda Nur Ahmad Kamar, for Shamsul Iskandar.
Jamil Khir had filed the suit in May last year, with the amended statement of claim on July 3 this year at the High Court registry through the legal firm of Messrs Adnan Sharida & Associates.
A copy of the amended statement of claim was made available to the media yesterday.
Adnan, when met by reporters, said the court dismissed Shamsul Iskandar’s application on grounds that it did not prejudice the defendant and set four days beginning February 4 next year for the hearing.
The court also set November 13 for case management, he added.
In the statement of claim, Jamil Khir stated that Shamsul Iskandar had issued defamatory statements against him on his (Jamil Khir’s) comment, pertaining to the oath made by Anwar in his sodomy case, which was aired live by RTM in a forum “Pengurusan Persepsi” (Management of Perception) on March 30, 2012.
The minister in the Prime Minister’s Department claimed that the defamatory words implied that he was a person who opposed implementation of Syariah laws on qazaf (criminal defamation), as well as abused his power to prevent the qazaf application by Anwar.
Jamil Khir also claimed that on March 31, 2012, he had issued a statement to the media seeking an apology from Shamsul Iskandar and for him to withdraw the statement, but the defendant refused to do so and challenged him to a debate.
He claimed that Shamsul Iskandar repeated the alleged defamatory words at a ceramah organised by the Bukit Katil PKR Branch at Taman Sin Hoe, Bukit Baru, Malacca on April 1, 2012.
Jamil Khir claimed that his reputation and image had been tarnished because the defamatory words were aired live on TV1 by RTM, as well as uploaded on YouTube and websites, including the defendant’s blog at shamsuliskandar.wordpress.com.
He is seeking an injunction to prevent the defendant from further issuing, publishing or distributing the defamatory words, orally or in print.
Jamil Khir is also seeking general and aggravated damages, interests, costs and other relief deemed fit by the court. – Bernama, September 11, 2013.
