Blogger agrees not to further publish article on Rais

March 21, 2011

KUALA LUMPUR, March 21 — A blogger sued by Information Communication and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim over an alleged defamatory article has agreed not to further publish the alleged libellous article.

High Court judge Datin Zabariah Mohd Yusof granted the inter-parte injunction filed by Rais to restrain the blogger, Amizudin Ahmat, from further publishing the article in Amizudin’s blog, sharpshooterblogger.blogspot.com, until the disposal of Rais’(picture) suit against Amizudin.

Speaking to reporters, Rais’ counsel Badrul Munir Bukhari said the inter-parte injunction had been granted by way of consent order from both parties — Amizudin, who is represented by counsel Gan Chee Wei, and Rais.

The court set April 6 for case management.

On February 2, Rais obtained an ex-parte injunction from the High Court to compel Amizudin to remove the alleged defamatory article and photograph of him (Rais) from the blog.

The judge had also allowed Rais’ application to restrain Amizudin or his agents from further publishing the alleged libellous article or any other articles similarly defamatory of him in the blog or in any other blogs and media until the disposal of the inter-parte injunction hearing.

On January 31, Rais filed a defamation suit against Amizudin, who is also a committee member of PKR Youth, over the article published in Amizudin’s blog, with Rais’ photograph, on or about December 28 last year.

Rais is seeking general damages, special damages, aggravated damages, punitive damages, interest and injunction against the defendant to remove and to restrain the defendant from further publishing the article.

In his statement of claim, Rais, 69, said the entire words in the Malay-language article were malicious and defamatory of him.

The minister said the words in the article meant and/or were understood to mean that he is guilty of a serious offence of having raped and capable of murdering his Indonesian maid.

Rais also said that the defamatory words were understood to mean that he is an immoral person and/or leader.

Rais said that following the article, he had been gravely injured in his personal and/or professional reputation nationally and/or internationally, in his character and credit, and had been brought into public scandal, odium and contempt as well as suffered considerable embarrassment, distress and damage.

Rais, who is the MP for Jelebu in Negri Sembilan, denied the allegations last month after a blogger named him.

Subsequently, a woman, who worked as a maid for him for eight years, was reported by an Indonesian news portal to have denied that she had ever been mistreated or raped by her employer. — Bernama