Ismail Sabri sues Anina over defamatory remarks on Facebook

KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob is suing former Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) Wanita chief Anina Saadudin for allegedly defaming him on Facebook and accusing him of being incompetent in discharging his duties during the implementation of the Movement Control Order (MCO).

Ismail Sabri, 61, filed the suit in his personal capacity through Messrs Kesavan on March 5 and named Anina, 46, as the sole defendant.

In his statement of claims, Ismail Sabri claimed that Anina had posted 13 defamatory remarks and uploaded a video on her Facebook page, which among others, accused the minister of being incompetent in discharging his duties and implementing strict regulations to combat COVID-19 under the MCO.

He claimed that the 13 remarks made by Anina between Feb 5 and March 3 were also shared by other Facebook users.

He said the remarks implied that he was just a “puppet” in implementing the prime minister’s orders and that he was an inefficient and incompetent senior minister.

According to Ismail Sabri, due to the defamatory remarks, his reputation was tarnished and the posting of those remarks was done with ill intention to hurt and tarnish the plaintiff’s good reputation and image.

As such, he is seeking general, exemplary and additional damages, with interest, cost and other reliefs deemed fit by the court.

Meanwhile, Ismail Sabri also filed an ex-parte application for an injunction to force the defendant to immediately delete all the alleged defamatory remarks about the plaintiff on her Facebook page and also an injunction to restrain her or her representative from making other defamatory remarks on her social media sites.

The Bera MP filed the application on grounds that the defendant had constantly, since early February, posted untrue and defamatory remarks about the plaintiff.

He said even after he lodged a police report on the matter, the defendant has shown no remorse and continued to post 12 defamatory remarks about him on Feb 13, 17, 18, 19 and 23, which prompted him to send her a letter on Feb 24, demanding her to immediately delete all the postings.

Ismail Sabri said, not only his letter of demand went unanswered, the defendant continued to post two more defamatory remarks about him on March 3.

The injunction application was heard before High Court Judge Datuk Seri Mohd Firuz Jaffril today.

-- BERNAMA