KUALA LUMPUR: Television show host and actor Datuk AC Mizal Zaini and three others are suing for RM25 million over an entertainment column published by Mingguan Malaysia last year.
AC Mizal, his wife and model Datin Emylia Rosnaida Abdul Hamid, actor Rashidi Ishak, and internet radio broadcast company Peace Yall Sdn Bhd, are suing the Sunday Bahasa Malaysia newspaper's entertainment reporter Syed Musaddad Syed Mahdi and three others.
AC Mizal, 44, Emylia, 42, and Rashidi, 42 - who are also president, deputy president, and chief executive officer of Peace Yall, respectively - are suing over the column's allegation that the company employees' salaries were unpaid, among others.
The allegation was purportedly made in Syed Musaddad's “Gebang Syed” column, published in Mingguan Malaysia's Pancaindera pullout, on Aug 23 last year.
The other three defendants are Utusan Melayu (Malaysia) Bhd, its group editor-in-chief Datuk Abdul Aziz Ishak, and Mingguan Malaysia's then-editor Ku Seman Ku Hussein. Utusan Melayu is Mingguan Malaysia's publisher.
AC Mizal, Emylia, Rashidi and Peace Yall claimed that the article jeopardised their reputation and good name in the entertainment and business world, among others.
They are seeking RM15 million in general damages, RM10 million in aggravated damages, an injunction to restrain the defendants from repeating the alleged defamatory words, cost and any other relief deemed fit by the court.
When met after High Court case management of the suit today, the plaintiffs' counsel Shahrir Baharuddin said that judge Abu Bakar Jais had advised parties to try resolve the matter via mediation.
The defendants' counsel Ooi She Yi confirmed that Abu Bakar gave the direction during case management in his chambers.
Both lawyers added that Abu Bakar set tomorrow for further case management to update him on whether their clients are agreeable to attempt mediation to settle the defamation suit.