KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court fixed April 13 to hear actress Datin Maria Farida's application for an injunction to prevent her husband's ex-wife and stepdaughter from making defamatory statements against her.
Judge Datuk Mohd Zaki Abdul Wahab fixed the date in chambers after meeting lawyers from both sides today.
Maria Farida, or Maria Farida Atienza, 47, who was represented by her counsel – who refused to be named – filed the suit on Dec 30, last year, through Messrs Harjinder & Associates, naming Hadijah Mohamed Mokhtar, better known as Karen Rahman, and Nur Shazleen Anis Mohd Yusoff, as defendants.
Hadijah is the ex-wife of Datuk Rahman Shakur, 63, who is now Maria's husband, while Nur Shazleen is Rahman's stepdaughter.
Maria had, among others, applied for an injunction to restrain the defendants from making, publishing and broadcasting any statement against her, whether expressly or by imputation or innuendo, which is defamatory in nature, through social media, the internet or the press.
The plaintiff also wants the defendants to publish an apology for a previous statement made, in which the content must be agreed upon by her, to be published in the mass media, including Facebook and Instagram.
She is also seeking an injunction to restrain Hadijah from communicating with her, be it through SMS, phone call, social media, etc.
Among others, Maria is also seeking an injunction to prevent the first defendant from using her pictures to promote any products from KR Beauty Care (a beauty company owned by the defendant, for which the plaintiff was supposed to be a product ambassador).
She is seeking exemplary and aggravated damages and other relief deemed fit by the court.
Meanwhile, Hadijah, in her counter-claim filed on Feb 16 through Messrs Farid Aziz & Co, claimed that the plaintiff had issued a statement and made false accusations against her, which were broadcast on TV3's infotainment programme, Melodi, and news channel, Astro Awani.
She also claimed that the defamatory statement by Maria against her was also published in online news portals and newspapers on different dates.
Hadijah, who was represented by lawyer Zaid Roslan, claimed that the plaintiff's actions had caused her to suffer psychological stress which required treatment.
She is seeking RM5 million in general and exemplary damages and other relief deemed fit by the court.