The prime minister's press secretary today told the Kuala Lumpur High Court that none of the 98 articles tendered as evidence showed that Mukhriz Mahathir has "80 percent support" of Umno members.
Tengku Sariffuddin Tengku Ahmad said this during cross-examination by the plaintiff's lawyer Mohd Haniff Khatri Abdulla, who referred to the former's statement dated April 26, 2016.
The statement read: "Tun Mahathir Mohamad should retire gracefully and allow his son to stand on his own feet, especially as Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir now claims to have 80 percent support within Umno... trying to unseat a serving PM just to benefit your son is a step too far for Umno members".
The admission was made when Haniff asked Tengku Sariffuddin if the statement was meant to give the impression that Mukhriz, the plaintiff, was not politically qualified and depended on his father.
Haniff: When you wrote that Mukhriz has 80 percent support within Umno, was this based on research?
Tengku Sariffuddin: Yes, it was based on research material, search and statements made or obtained from other platforms.
Haniff: Can you show us, through the 98 articles tendered as evidence in the trial, where does it state Mukhriz's has 80 percent support in Umno?
Tengku Sariffuddin: There are no documents.
Haniff: Can you call any witness to testify that Mukhriz has 80 percent support within Umno?
Tengku Sariffuddin: No.
Haniff then presented an article by the South China Morning Post dated April 20, 2016 - Mukhriz was still an Umno member at the time - cited the plaintiff offering an opinion that 20 percent of those within Umno do not support Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.
Haniff: Could the figure of 80 percent come from a wrong analysis by your research team within the prime minister's office?
Tengku Sariffuddin: I am not sure.
Haniff: (Was) the figure 80 percent here your opinion based on an error by your own media team?
Tengku Sariffuddin: I am not sure.
Haniff: Hence the prime minister's office gave an erroneous statement?
Tengku Sariffuddin: I am not sure.
When Haniff referred to the third press statement where there are three paragraphs being cited for defamation, Tengku Sariffuddin agreed with Haniff that a portion of it is based on facts and some of it can be said to be opinion.
He admitted that being a journalist for 10 years with the New Straits Times, before assuming the post as press secretary, he was trained to report based on facts and that by writing opinion pieces it should also be based on information from various sources which is verified.
Tengku Sariffuddin, when asked by Haniff, agreed with the lawyer that the third press statement gave the impression that Mukhriz does not have a stand and hence would give a negative impression on him and result him facing public odium.
Mukhriz had filed a defamation suit against Tengku Sariffuddin in 2016 over four press statements that were deemed to be defamatory.
Tengku Sariffuddin will continue to face cross-examination on March 15 before Justice Ahmad Zaidi Ibrahim. -Mkini
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