Pua told to submit defence in Najib's suit by Wednesday

Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua has been told by the High Court in Kuala Lumpur today to submit his defence on Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's latest defamation suit by Wednesday (May 17).

The directive was made by the High Court's deputy registrar Erry Shahriman Nor Aripin during case management, in which he also fixed May 31 as the final date for Najib to submit his defence.

Following this, the court also fixed June 2 for case management before Judicial Commissioner Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh.

This was confirmed by Pua's lawyer Joanne Chua, who confirmed the dates with Malaysiakini when contacted today.

“We are expected to file the defence tomorrow,” she said.

Najib was represented by lawyer Nor Hazira Abu Haiyan. Wan Ahmad Farid had earlier fixed May 24 to hear the inter-parte injunction application from Najib, after the court had previously granted and extended the ex-parte injunction barring Pua from repeating or publishing the defamatory words again.

Second defamation suit

This is Najib's second defamation suit against Pua, who is also DAP national publicity secretary. In 2015, he sued Pua over comments linking the prime minister with the 1MDB scandal. 

It was reported that Najib filed the second defamation suit against Pua over a video Pua had posted on Facebook Live on April 6, alleging that amendments to the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965 (Act 355) were used to divert attention from the 1MDB scandal.

Najib, in the defamation suit filed against Pua, said the words uttered by the DAP lawmaker had meant that he had abused his powers by directing the cabinet, through the Dewan Rakyat speaker, to see the tabling of amendments to Act 355 by PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang.

Najib claimed Pua insinuated that he had disregarded the principle of separation of powers between the executive, legislature and judiciary.

The PM further alleged that Pua's assertions had implied that he had conspired with PAS to split Malay votes among the opposition, and that he practised dirty politics to remain in power.

Pua's words had also meant, Najib claimed, that he had "robbed" 1MDB funds and would continue to commit criminal acts to rob from the people, that he had betrayed Malaysians, and that he would continue to lie to the people in relation to 1MDB.

He further claimed that Pua's comments had also suggested that he abused his position as the chairperson of the board of advisers in 1MDB, and that he had abused his power as PM and finance minister, and that he is a “cruel leader” who practices kleptocratic administration in the country.

Following this, Najib is seeking aggravated, exemplary and general damages, as well as costs, for Pua’s acts of malice.- Mkini