Rahman Dahlan files suit against news portal

Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan has instructed his lawyer to commence filing a suit against a news portal to clear his name.

"I wish to stress here that my action today is not to curb media freedom but as a reminder to online news portal to be careful when publishing news and not to compromise on facts," he said in a statement here today.

On Nov 25, Abdul Rahman said he had instructed his lawyer to initiate legal action against a news portal which uploaded a video on his statement on migration of urban residents to rural areas at a media conference in Kuala Lumpur on Nov 3.

Abdul Rahman said his lawyer had handed a letter of demand, dated Nov 24, to the news portal as well as to the writer to claim, among others, that they issue an apology for the production of an edited video. He also demanded the news portal and writer gave an undertaking not to publish, reproduce, print or cause to print or publish words or similar items which defamed him.

"Unfortunately, I just received a reply from the online news portal, dated Nov 27, in which they failed to give a satisfactory answer," he said.