KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has sued former MCA president Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik over defamatory statements against him.
The suit was filed on Oct 27 through law firm Messrs Hafarizam Wan & Aisha Mubarak at the Civil High Court registry here.
In his statement of claim, Najib, among others, sought an order for Ling to publish a written apology to be published in newspapers or magazines to be identified by Najib, in a form and terms determined by plaintiff (Najib).
Najib also sought an injunction to restrain Ling, or through his servants or agents, from further speaking or publishing any defamatory article or any similar words defamatory to him.
He also sought general, special, aggravated and exemplary damages, costs and other relief deemed fit by the court.
Najib said Ling had falsely and maliciously made slanderous statements against him while attending a ceremony at a university college here that were published in a news portal on Oct 3 via an article.
The prime minister claimed that the defendant had uttered the defamatory words with malicious intention to put the plaintiff in the position of public scandal, contempt and odium.
Najib said the plain and ordinary meaning of the words published in the article were understood to mean, among others, that he had misappropriated public fund into his personal account, that he had misused the fund for his personal interest, and he had misused the fund to gain wealth and profits for his personal gain and interests.
He also said the plain and ordinary meaning of the words published in the article were understood to mean, among others, that he had misused government funds belonging to a government investment company, 1MDB, for his personal interests, he had abused his power as the leader of a political party and also the leader of people, and he was not competent or qualified to be the leader of the government or prime minister of Malaysia.
“The plaintiff’s reputation has been gravely injured following the publication of the defamatory words and caused contempt to the plaintiff in the social media and mass media as the defamatory article had been widely shared by social media and mass media users at large,” the statement of claim said.
The plaintiff averred that the allegations in the defamatory words were very serious and had caused contempt against him among the general public in Malaysia and also internationally.
“The said defamatory words are also an attack to the plaintiff’s moral and character in the sense that he is now being labeled as a dishonest, untrustworthy and irresponsible person,” the statement of claim said.
Najib claimed that the defamatory words were baseless allegations and without any basis or proof.
Najib contended that Ling was fully aware and intended for the said defamatory article to be published, knowing that it would draw readers both of virtual or mainstream media in Malaysia and internationally.
“The serious and scandalous nature of the said defamatory words has caused serious loss and irreparable damage to the plaintiff’s reputation, specifically but not limited to the plaintiff’s relationship with the people in the country and internationally,” the document said.
He further said the letter of demand served to Ling on Oct 5 demanded Ling, among others, to cease and desist from making any further defamatory statement or any such similar statement referring to Najib and to issue a full and unequivocal written apology and retraction of the defamatory statements.
However, the defendant, through his solicitors Messrs Ranjit Singh & Yeoh, had replied in a letter dated Oct 8 stating that he did not acknowledge or admit to any of the statements that had been set out in the letter of demand and reserved his right to take or receive further legal actions.
“This clearly shows that the defendant has no regrets whatsoever on the publishing of the said impugned words and it shows the real defendant’s attitude,” said Najib. -- Bernama