PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar said she was in a group photo with self-styled Sulu princess Jacel Kiram when someone from the latter’s entourage had taken a close-up shot of them together, the Kuala Lumpur High Court heard today.
"This photo (should) actually show the whole group but Jacel Kiram's escort had taken a close-up.
"There are other people to our right and left," said Nurul Izzah as the first witness in her defamation suit against Minister of Rural and Regional Ismail Sabri and inspector-general of police Khalid Abu Bakar.
Ismail and Khalid had allegedly accused her of being a "traitor" and committing "treason" after she was photographed with Jacel – daughter of Jamalulail Kiram - who is said to have led the intrusion in Lahad Datu, Sabah, in 2013.
Nurul Izzah further explained that the original group photo was taken after a dinner function hosted by the Council on Philippine Affairs & the Asian Institute for Democracy; the office of the city mayor of Manila and the office of the Philippine vice-president on Nov 9, 2015.
Responding to questions from senior federal counsel Normastura Ayob, Nurul Izzah said she was first introduced to Jacel at the dinner as one of 12 candidates running for the ongoing senate elections.
"In the beginning, I did not realise that the 
Jacel Kiram (photo) mentioned had any links to the (Lahad Datu) incident," Nurul Izzah said, adding that the topic of Lahad Datu was never discussed even after she found out Jacel's link to the incursion.
Jacel Kiram (photo) mentioned had any links to the (Lahad Datu) incident," Nurul Izzah said, adding that the topic of Lahad Datu was never discussed even after she found out Jacel's link to the incursion.
Pressed on whether she considered Jacel to be an enemy of the state after knowing her identity, Nurul Izzah said she would only agree to link her to the act of intrusion.
Nurul Izzah: Enemy of the state is subjective
"But the definition of the enemy of the state is subjective.
"I would agree to link her to the intrusion but to say (she is) an enemy of the state, there must be a prosecution," she said in pointing out that others involved the act had been prosecuted.
Nurul Izzah also disagreed with Normastura's suggestions that the negative impression against her, as alleged by the defendants, was primarily due to the photograph that was taken.
The defendants, she said, had also contributed to blowing up the issue through their statements carried by various mainstream media.
During cross-examination, senior federal counsel Zureen Elina Mohd Dom eventually requested the plaintiff to present the photo of the entire group who was also with her and Jacel at the time their photo was taken.
Nurul Izzah's lead counsel Sivarasa Rasiah later said they would try to obtain a copy from the event organiser in Manila, Philippines.
Jailed PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim was initially scheduled to appear as a witness today but the hearing was adjourned at about 5pm before he was called.
The hearing will resume at 10.30am tomorrow morning and the defence team is expected to call both the IGP and Ismail Sabri to testify.
Nurul Izzah, who is Lembah Pantai Member of Parliament, had filed the suit against Khalid and Ismail in Nov 2015.
She claimed that Khalid had allegedly uttered slanderous words against her during a press conference at the Bukit Aman police headquarters on Nov 22, 2015, while Ismail Sabri had uttered similar defamatory words during a media event in his Bera parliamentary constituency in Pahang on the same day. - Mkini
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