Nurul Izzah suit against IGP, Ismail Sabri to go for full trial

The High Court today dismissed applications by Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar and Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob to strike out a defamation suit against them brought by PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar.

Judge Datuk John Louis O'Hara, in dismissing the applications, said the court was of the view that the suit should be allowed to go for full trial, and set May 8, 2017, for the trial.

He also advised the two parties to consider resolving the suit through mediation and fixed July 18 for case management for the parties to come back on their efforts for mediation.

Nurul Izzah, who is MP for Lembah Pantai, filed the suit on Nov 26 last year claiming that Khalid had allegedly uttered slanderous words against her during a press conference at the Bukit Aman police headquarters on the same day.

She also claimed that Ismail Sabri had allegedly used a libelous media statement against her on the same day during an event in Bera, Pahang.

O'Hara held that Nurul Izzah's suit had disclosed reasonable cause of action, and was not frivolous, vexatious, scandalous and abuse of the court process.

The judge ordered the two defendants, Khalid and Ismail Sabri, to pay RM2,500 each as legal costs to Nurul Izzah.

In her statement of claim, Nurul Izzah said the statements were made by Khalid and Ismail Sabri several days after the appearance of a photograph showing her with Jacel Kiram, daughter of Jamalulail Kiram, who had allegedly ordered an attack on and intrusion into Sabah in 2013.

She claimed that the words implied that she was a traitor to the country and the mastermind of the intrusion into Sabah.