Malaysia’s longest serving prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad said today he would not sue any news portal even if it curses him, unlike Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.
The cost of getting lawyers was a factor and besides, he knew that curses and praises come with the territory of being a politician, the veteran Umno man said.
"Yes, it is right," Mahathir said, when asked to comment on PMNajib's lawsuit against Mkini Dotcom Sdn Bhd, the publisher ofMalaysiakini, and two editors over the publication of readers’ comments.
"I won't sue, they can call me anything also. I won't sue because this is politics. In politics, you get cursed and you get praised."
For example, Mahathir said he knows some had called him “anti-hadis”, “kafir” or worse.
“PAS has even condemned all Umno people as (breakaway Muslims) kafir,” Mahathir said.
Right of reply offer rejected
Before filing the lawsuit in his personal capacity and as Umno president against Malaysiakini last Friday, PM Najib had told the National Press Club that his suit did not mean a media crackdown. It was to differentiate between legitimate criticism and defamation.
Malaysiakini has however offered to publish Najib’s right of reply to his critics through the news portal, but he has not accepted that offer.
Speaking to about 1,500 students at Universiti Islam Antarabangsa (UIA) today, Mahathir warned of Muslim dictators who didn’t heed criticism.
They became tyrants, he said. Noting that Muslims were the earliest democrats as even Prophet Mohammad himself had left the issue of his successor open, Mahathir said Muslims had an obligation to overthrow such tyrants, either by voting or taking to the streets if necessary.
Later at a press conference, Mahathir however clarified that he was not talking a poke at PM Najib, who has also faced much opposition since gaining an unconvincing mandate in GE13.
“No, Najib also hears criticisms... but if his own followers do not point out if something goes wrong, they are also doing the wrong thing.
“During my time I appreciated an opposition. You need an opposition to be a mirror, so that you can see your face.. whether it is ugly or not,” Mahathir said.
Mahathir also said that he won’t sue people for defamation as he has learned that only lawyers benefit in such often long-drawn affairs.
“The law is there... and people say all kinds of things about me, but you have to pay a lawyer and in the end, only they will benefit,” he said to laughter in the room of reporters.
Mahathir cited how opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim sued him for RM100 million but Anwar lost the case, after it had gone on for five years.
“I had to pay my lawyers for that and only got RM70 out of it,” Mahathir said.
NOTE: The full, 30-page Writ of Summons and Statement of Claim dated May 30, 2014, served on Malaysiakini and its editors can be accessed here.
The cost of getting lawyers was a factor and besides, he knew that curses and praises come with the territory of being a politician, the veteran Umno man said.
"Yes, it is right," Mahathir said, when asked to comment on PMNajib's lawsuit against Mkini Dotcom Sdn Bhd, the publisher ofMalaysiakini, and two editors over the publication of readers’ comments.
"I won't sue, they can call me anything also. I won't sue because this is politics. In politics, you get cursed and you get praised."
For example, Mahathir said he knows some had called him “anti-hadis”, “kafir” or worse.
“PAS has even condemned all Umno people as (breakaway Muslims) kafir,” Mahathir said.
Right of reply offer rejected
Before filing the lawsuit in his personal capacity and as Umno president against Malaysiakini last Friday, PM Najib had told the National Press Club that his suit did not mean a media crackdown. It was to differentiate between legitimate criticism and defamation.
Malaysiakini has however offered to publish Najib’s right of reply to his critics through the news portal, but he has not accepted that offer.
Speaking to about 1,500 students at Universiti Islam Antarabangsa (UIA) today, Mahathir warned of Muslim dictators who didn’t heed criticism.
They became tyrants, he said. Noting that Muslims were the earliest democrats as even Prophet Mohammad himself had left the issue of his successor open, Mahathir said Muslims had an obligation to overthrow such tyrants, either by voting or taking to the streets if necessary.
Later at a press conference, Mahathir however clarified that he was not talking a poke at PM Najib, who has also faced much opposition since gaining an unconvincing mandate in GE13.
“No, Najib also hears criticisms... but if his own followers do not point out if something goes wrong, they are also doing the wrong thing.
“During my time I appreciated an opposition. You need an opposition to be a mirror, so that you can see your face.. whether it is ugly or not,” Mahathir said.
Mahathir also said that he won’t sue people for defamation as he has learned that only lawyers benefit in such often long-drawn affairs.
“The law is there... and people say all kinds of things about me, but you have to pay a lawyer and in the end, only they will benefit,” he said to laughter in the room of reporters.
Mahathir cited how opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim sued him for RM100 million but Anwar lost the case, after it had gone on for five years.
“I had to pay my lawyers for that and only got RM70 out of it,” Mahathir said.
NOTE: The full, 30-page Writ of Summons and Statement of Claim dated May 30, 2014, served on Malaysiakini and its editors can be accessed here.
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