KEDAH Menteri Besar (MB) Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor has been advised to suppress his ego and seek public forgiveness from Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in relation to a defamation suit over the former’s 15th General Election (GE15) campaign speech.
On this note, the state’s Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman Datuk Mahfuz Omar hoped the Putrajaya Court of Appeal’s decision yesterday (April 3) which not only upheld the guilty verdict against Sanusi who defamed him in 2019 – but also raised quantum of the damage from RM50,000 to RM120,000 – should serve as an invaluable lesson.
In fact, the outcome of his defamation suit against Sanusi will reinforce the notion that the Kedah Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman has an attitude of issuing negative statements, according to Mahfuz.
“I am grateful with the Court of Appeal’s decision yesterday (April 3) as this is my second court victory after winning the same case in the High Court previously. I consider this act of defamation a heavy thing for me,” the Amanah vice-president told Malay tabloid Harian Metro.
“The public should be able to see through this decision because Sanusi has tended to humiliate, discredit and slander people even to the extent of the PM.”
Mahfuz who is also the former for Pokok Sena MP urged Sanusi to take a leaf out of the Court of Appeal’s decision in the face of Anwar’s lawsuit.
“For the sake of the people and the Kedah state, he should consult DS Anwar’s lawyer to apologise publicly,” suggested Mahfuz.
“For the good of everyone, it is inappropriate to show our ego until finally the court rules against us in its decision. Worse still is when the head of government is deemed to have committed something inappropriate.”
For the record, Anwar in his defamation suit filed on Dec 13 last year claimed that Sanusi –in the speech – had allegedly that Anwar is a fraudster, untrustworthy and unethical, and had betrayed the people’s mandate.
Moreover, Sanusi also claimed that Anwar’s full pardon by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong was not obtained according to protocol and right procedures and that Anwar was a criminal who had committed an offence which remains on record.
Above all else, the National PAS election director during his speech also claimed that Anwar is “out of akhlak” (moral virtue) and that he is not a good Muslim. – April 4, 2023
