PRIME Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has initiated legal action against Pendang MP Datuk Awang Hashim for alleged defamation.
Datuk Sankara Narayan Nair, the attorney for the Pakatan Harapan chairman, filed the defamation lawsuit at the Kuala Lumpur High Court today.
The civil lawsuit focused on two allegations: that Anwar should not have been named as the country’s tenth prime minister and that the Tambun MP is more vindictive than former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
A copy of the statement of claim shows that plaintiff Anwar claimed defendant Awang made the allegedly defamatory remarks to the media on Feb 21 inside the lobby of Parliament.
The PAS leader allegedly responded via letters on Feb 27 and March 2 to refute Anwar’s demands, despite the latter having issued letters of demand on Feb 21, 24, and 28 for the former to retract, apologise, and pay damages, among others.
Anwar alleged that Awang had said many other things during a parliamentary session on Feb 27 in defiance and without repentance, including that Anwar is “Bapa Saman Negara” (the Nation’s Father of Lawsuits).
Anwar is seeking general, compensatory, aggravated, and exemplary damages in the lawsuit.
The remarks made during the Dewan Rakyat hearings, however, are protected by the concept of absolute privilege and do not constitute the ground of Anwar’s ongoing civil lawsuit.
The plaintiff seeks an injunction to restrict the defendant from continuing to publish the allegedly defamatory statements, as well as any other remedy the court deems appropriate, including costs and five percent interest on whatever amount the court may award, calculated from the date of judgement through full settlement.
Awang told Malaysiakini this afternoon that he hasn’t heard anything concerning the matter. – March 3, 2023
