Anwar sues Kedah MB over defamatory speech in 'PN Best Tambun Tour'

KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today filed a lawsuit against Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor on the defamatory remarks linking him with immoral behaviour in a 'PN Best Tambun Tour' campaign.

Based on the statement of claim, Anwar alleged that on Nov 13, Muhammad Sanusi who is also Kedah Perikatan National (PN) chairman gave an election speech at a talk in support of the PN candidate for the Tambun parliamentary seat, Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu with hundreds of visitors in attendance.

Anwar said the speech in the talk had been published or caused to be republished and broadcast live on Facebook under the name "Faizal Azumu" which received more than 88,000 views, 531 reactions, 58 shares and 384 comments, as of the date of filing the suit.

The Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman claimed that on Nov 14, defamatory statements from the video were quoted by MalaysiaKini and the portal published an article in Bahasa Malaysia and English.

According to Anwar, the slanderous statement meant that the plaintiff obtained a Royal pardon through fraud while remaining not pardoned and he had deceived the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and was a liar, untrustworthy, unethical and betrayed the people's mandate.

The plaintiff claimed that the statements were untrue, repulsive and malicious with the aim of inciting the public and creating personal hatred towards him and PH during the campaigning period leading up to the 15th general election on November 19.

Anwar said the slanderous statement caused him to be insulted, ridiculed by the community as well as damaging his image and good reputation as the chairman of Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), PH chairman, MP for Tambun, the 10th Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of Malaysia.

Anwar said that on Nov 16, the plaintiff through his lawyer demanded that the defendant retract, apologise, promise not to repeat it and pay damages to the plaintiff, but the defendant through his lawyer's letter dated Dec 7, replied to the letter and expressed an unequivocal acknowledgment of the facts in the speech.

Accordingly, the plaintiff seeks general, severe and exemplary damages in addition to an order to prevent the defendant from continuing to reveal, compose, publish or publish similar statements against the plaintiff as well as other reliefs deemed fit by the court.

Lawyer Datuk S.N. Nair, who is representing Anwar, when contacted by Bernama said the suit was filed at 4.30 this afternoon.

-- BERNAMA