Courtroom orders Razman to file assertion of defence in Anwar’s lawsuit

KUALA LUMPUR: The Taiping Excessive Courtroom has ordered Perak PAS commissioner Razman Zakaria to file his assertion of defence on the defamation go well with filed by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim by Jan 31.

The lawsuit is over a speech that Razman made allegedly linking the Pakatan Harapan chairman with lesbian, homosexual, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) tradition.

Anwar’s lawyer Datuk S.N Nair mentioned the court docket additionally ordered his shopper to answer to the assertion of defence by Feb 20.

“Additional case administration is about for Feb 24,” he instructed Bernama after the case administration earlier than Judicial Commissioner Noor Ruwena Md Nurdin which was carried out on-line at present (Jan 6).

It was additionally attended by one other lawyer representing Anwar, Jaden Phoon and Razman’s counsel Nurul Atiqah Badrul Hisham.

Anwar filed the lawsuit on Dec 5, naming the Gunung Semanggol assemblyman as the only real defendant.

Primarily based on the assertion of declare, Anwar mentioned on Nov 6 final 12 months, the defendant spoke in regards to the matter in the course of the fifteenth Normal Election (GE15) marketing campaign on the Tebuk Pancur evening market.

He claimed the speech was broadcast reside on Razman’s Fb underneath the consumer title “Haji Razman Zakaria” and was considered greater than 94,400 instances, acquired over 5,100 reactions, 429 shares and over 2,600 feedback until at present.

In accordance with the PKR president, the reside video broadcast was later printed by an article dated Nov 6, 2022, in Malay and English and uploaded on a information portal.

The Tambun Member of Parliament mentioned the defamatory statements had been made to break his repute, including that the allegations within the article had been unfaithful as he had all the time championed Islamic teachings and values.

He additionally claimed that the defendant’s allegations had been made to sully his good title by inciting the general public and creating hatred in the direction of him and the get together in the course of the GE15 marketing campaign interval.

The defendant had additionally violated Part 4A of the Election Offences Act 1954 and did not apologise to him over his actions, Anwar mentioned.

Anwar is searching for common, compensatory, aggravated and exemplary damages and an injunction to cease the defendant or his brokers from repeating or inflicting the publication of the defamatory article along with claiming prices, curiosity and different applicable reduction. – Bernama