Khalid Samad

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Court Rejects Utusan's Application, Khalid's Suit Goes For Full Trial Posted: 06 Jun 2011 11:20 PM PDT KUALA LUMPUR, June 7 (Bernama) -- A defamation suit filed by Shah Alam Member of Parliament Khalid Abdul Samad against Utusan Melayu (Malaysia) Berhad will go for full trial on July 25. High Court Judicial Commissioner Dr Prasad Sandosham Abraham set July 25 an 26 to hear the suit after dismissing Utusan Melayu's application on preliminary issues whether the words complained about in the article referred to Khalid. Counsel Rohanidah Shafee representing Utusan Melayu told reporters that the court held that the words published in the article may refer to the plaintiff (Khalid), and that the court set dates to hear the suit. The court made the ruling in chambers after hearing submissions from Rohanidah and counsel Mohamed Hanipa Maidin, who acted for Khalid. In the suit filed last year, Khalid of PAS, named Utusan Malaysia and Mingguan Malaysia Group Editor-in-Chief Datuk Aziz Ishak and the publisher of Utusan Malaysia and Mingguan Malaysia as the defendants. Khalid claimed that on Sept 11, 2009, Aziz, as the Group Editor-in-Chief for both newspapers, with malice, had allowed the publication and printing of defamatory words on him on the front page of the newspapers. He also said that the article titled "Zulkifli bidas "Pak Janggut" (Zulkifli admonishes Bearded Man) directly or indirectly referred to him even though his name was not mentioned. Khalid claimed that the words referred to him as he was the Member of Parliament for Shah Alam and he was also a bearded individual. He claimed that the words, in their original and common interpretation, meant that he was willing to manipulate a verse from the Quran to defend the construction of a Hindu temple in Section 23, Shah Alam; that he did not respect the Holy Quran; and that he was a deviant. He said the words, which were not true, had defamed him and caused him to suffer humiliation and they had deliberately published those words without making any verification. Khalid contended that the article had done with malice to sensationalise news to sell the two newspapers. He is seeking general, exemplary and aggravated damages, interest, cost and other relief deemed fit by the court. The defendants, in their defence statement filed on Jan 7, said the news was republished by them based on a comments made by Kulim-Bandar Baharu Member of Parliament Zulkifli Noordin in his official blog in Sept 9, 2009. They claimed that the news was republished as Zulkifli's public statement. Courtesy of BERNAMA -Pejabat YB Khalid Samad- www.khalidsamad.com

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