ALOR STAR: Universiti Utara Malaysia lecturer Dr Kamarul Zaman Yusoff is ready to go for a full trial in DAP's Hannah Yeoh's defamation suit filed against him in 2022.
Kamarul is steadfast that his Facebook postings on the Segambut member of Parliament in 2017 are factual and not defamatory in nature.
"I am ready for a full trial as I believe what I wrote is just factual and is not defamatory in nature. I will provide some witnesses to testify for me," he told the New Straits Times when contacted today.
The senior lecturer acknowledged that he did not attend the mediation session held at the Kuala Lumpur High Court yesterday but stressed that he had a legitimate reason.
"My failure to attend (the mediation session) was due to a legitimate reason which was made known to the mediator.
"I always respect the process of the court and diligently attended most of the mediation sessions held for this case before. Not a big deal," he said.
Yesterday, Yeoh, who is also the Youth and Sports Minister, took to Facebook to express disappointment over Kamarul's failure to turn up for the mediation session.
"His absence showed a clear disregard for the court and the mediation process. Trial is to proceed on Nov 25," she wrote in the posting.
In 2022, Yeoh filed a defamation suit against Kamarul, who was a special officer to the prime minister from 2021 to 2022, over two Facebook posts uploaded by the defendant in May 2017.
In the posting, he alleged that Yeoh "has a motive to proselytise Christianity through her politics."
He also cited that Yeoh's biography, Becoming Hannah: A Personal Journey, for driving a "Christian agenda."
In her claim, Yeoh said Kamarul had also claimed that she "intends to convert Malaysia into a Christian country."
She contends that the words are offensive, completely untrue and a malicious attempt to seriously defame her.
Yeoh is seeking general, aggravated and exemplary damages from the defendant.
It was reported that in his statement of defence, Kamarul said his two Facebook posts were not defamatory and were justified.
Yeoh had earlier in 2017 lodged a police report against Kamarul, claiming that his Facebook postings were malicious, while the lecturer filed a counter police report, alleging that Yeoh was involved in proselytisation.