Former deputy women, family and community development minister Hannah Yeoh’s defamation suit against former inspector-general of police Musa Hassan is still on.
The High Court in Kuala Lumpur today dismissed the former top cop’s application to strike out the legal action by the Segambut MP.
On July 3 last year, the DAP lawmaker filed her legal action against Musa over allegations contained in his speech at Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) on Jan 30 last year.
On Feb 5 last year, it was also reported that Musa was being probed by the police over the speech.
The forum entitled Wacana Isu Semasa Perjanjian Damai Hat Yai 1989: PKM Menyerah Diri?' (The Hat Yai Peace Accords: Did the Communist Party of Malaya surrender?) was organised by UiTM's Institute of Malay Rulers.
In his speech, Musa was alleged to have suggested that the DAP had published a book over the purported role of the Malays behind the May 13 riots, among others.
On Oct 29 last year, it was reported that the defendant moved to strike out the defamation suit on grounds that his remarks were made under qualified privilege at the closed-door event, among other reasons.
When contacted today, Yeoh’s counsel Lim Wei Jiet confirmed that the High Court did not allow Musa’s bid to quash the legal action.
The lawyer, who with counsel S Ambiga acted for the plaintiff, explained that the court found the legal action raised triable issues that needed to be ventilated in a full hearing.
“High Court judge Rozana Ali Yusoff dismissed the striking-out application, with costs of RM3,000 awarded in favour of Yeoh.
“The court fixed the matter for further case management on April 2,” Lim said.
Musa was represented by Mohd Khairul Azam Abdul Aziz and Muhammad Afiq Qiwamuddin.
In the defamation suit, Yeoh claimed that the speech contained defamatory statements that were wholly untrue, disparaging, vexatious, spurious, fallacious and without basis.
She claimed that the defendant’s speech was premeditated, made in bad faith, and actuated by malice on the latter’s part to harm, tarnish, malign, injure and/or destroy her reputation in the perception of the public, and intended to harm her politically, among others.
Yeoh is seeking general, aggravated and exemplary damages.
She seeks an injunction to restrain Musa, whether by himself, his servants or agents, from further uttering, publishing, causing to be uttered and/or causing to be published the allegedly defamatory words.
She is also seeking costs and any other relief deemed fit by the court. - Mkini
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.