KOTA BHARU: The decision by London High Court to dismiss application by the Sarawak Report to reject the defamation suit by Pas President Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang was an apparent proof of the portal’s maliciousness and non-credibility.
Umno information chief Tan Sri Annuar Musa said the portal, which had been deemed as a mercenary hired to topple the government, was proven to have spread false news.
He said the agency has a track record of reporting with devious agenda funded by certain quarters, especially those who are anti-government.
“We don’t know what their biggest agenda is; all we know is that those involved with funding the portal are individuals and bodies with their own scheme. They are also operating by manipulating data from abroad which prevented them from facing certain laws (that are applicable here).
“This is a modern-day perpertrators that abuse the media freedom by attempting to ruin a country through false news. Sarawak Report no longer holds credibility if we understand its game and track record,” he told reporters today.
The Ketereh incumbent MP said he hoped that the decision by the London High Court to reject the application by Sarawak Report’s Clare Rewcastle-Brown to dismiss the defamation suit filed by Hadi would be an eye-opener.
Meanwhile, Terengganu Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Razif Abd Rahman said the public would be wise to decide on the accusations hurled by the opposition to the government and Pas published by the agency.
He said the court decision had proven that the articles reported in the portal were mere allegations against Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, as well as the the government.
“Sarawak Report was dominated by the opposition to create discord. I hope that the court decision shed some light on the deceitful tactic by the opposition that is easily fueled by emotions,” he told reporters after attending the state-level Workers’ Day celebration in Terengganu.
It was reported that the London High Court had ordered portal editor Clare Rewcastle-Brown has been ordered to pay £28,900 (RM155,790) to Hadi after the latter filed interlocutory applications against the defendant.
Hadi had filed a defamation suit against Brown in the United Kingdom in April last year following reports by the portal that he had received RM90 million in an effort to gain the party’s support for Barisan Nasional and Umno.