April 27 hearing of Ahmad Zahid's injunction application for Muhyiddin to withdraw alleged defamatory statement

KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court here today set April 27 to hear an inter-parte application for an injunction by Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi in his defamation suit against former prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin on allegations that he had sought the latter's help to settle or postpone his court cases.

Lawyer Shahrul Fazli Kamarulzaman, representing Ahmad Zahid, when contacted by reporters said the date was set by Judge Datuk Rozana Ali Yusoff during the online proceeding today.

"At today's proceedings, I informed the court on the progress of the suit and the Judge (Rozana) decided to change the hearing for the ex-parte application that was fixed for today to an inter-parte hearing on April 27," he added.

Shahrul Fazli said the suit was served to Muhyiddin today.

In the suit filed last April 4, Ahmad Zahid is seeking an ex-parte injunction for Muhyiddin or his representative to withdraw the defamatory statements or similar defamatory statement against him.

He is also seeking an interim injunction for the defendant to delete, edit and stop the publication of part of the video footage which contained the defamatory statement in online news portals and the social media, including on Perikatan Nasional Facebook page, Astro AWANI YouTube channel and KiniTV.

According to the statement of claims, Ahmad Zahid, 69, stated that on Oct 19, 2018, he was charged at the Sessions Court here with 12 counts of breach of trust, eight counts of corruption, and 27 counts of money laundering, all of which were tried in High Court.

He claimed that last Feb 16, during the 15th Johor state election campaign trail in Mersing, at the compound of the Learning Centre Sentuhan Kasih Felda Tenggaroh 3, Muhyiddin had made a defamatory statement with ill intention and malice against him.

On the same day, he said, the video footage of the defamatory statement was published on Astro AWANI YouTube channel, which is managed by Astro AWANI.

The video, which lasted two hours 35 minutes and eight seconds (2:35:08), can be accessed on the Internet," he claimed.

The Bagan Datuk Member of Parliament claimed that Muhyiddin's statement implied that he had used a shortcut to settle and postpone his ongoing court cases, that he had asked for Muhyiddin's help to intervene in the court cases and the judiciary system, to order the dissolution of the Johor State Assembly and also implied that he was not a respectable and exemplary leader.

Ahmad Zahid claimed that the allegations were false and aimed at tarnishing his good name and reputation and that it was made by the defendant after the Election Commission's announcement on the Johor state election.

He is seeking general, aggravated and exemplary damages, as well as an order for Muhyiddin to publish a public apology in newspapers, and other reliefs and costs deemed fit by the court.

-- BERNAMA