Anwar’s fails to strike out Hamzah’s defence in RM10m defamation suit

The High Court here today rejected an application by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to strike out the defence of Deputy Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Datuk Hamzah Zainuddin in a RM10 million defamation suit brought by Anwar.

Judicial Commissioner Dr Prasad Sandosham Abraham said it was unfair for him to strike out the defence at interlocutory stages and ordered the case to go for full trial.

No date has been fixed for the trial yet.

Prasad, however, ordered Hamzah, who was represented by counsel S.Murali, to pay costs of RM2,500 to Anwar for the delay in giving further particulars in his statement of defence.

Speaking to the media later, Anwar’s counsel, S.N.Nair, said he would get instruction on whether or not to appeal today’s decision.

Anwar sought to strike out Hamzah’s defence last November on grounds that Hamzah had delayed in furnishing further particulars in his defence as ordered by the High Court in May.

On Aug 22, 2008, Anwar sued Hamzah, then deputy housing and local government minister, over an article headlined “Anwar Harassed My Wife” carried by the Chinese language newspaper, Kwong Wah Jit Poh, on Aug 19, 2008.

Anwar said the article had caused him considerable distress and embarrassment because it gave the impression that he was engaged in illicit sexual activities and that he was a man of low morals, a bad character and a man with no Islamic values.

Hamzah, in his defence, said the words in the article were justified. — Bernama