KUALA LUMPUR, 23 Dec 2008: Seputeh Member of Parliament Teresa Kok Suh Sim has filed a suit for RM30 million against Datuk Seri Mohamad Khir Toyo and Utusan Melayu Sdn Bhd over the issue of the ‘azan’ (call for prayer) at the Kinrara mosque recently.
The writ of summons was filed at the Civil High Court registry here today through the law firm, SN Nair & Partners.
In her statement of claim, Kok, 44, who is also a Selangor executive council member, claimed that former Selangor Menteri Besar Mohamad Khir, named as the first defendant, had on 26 Jan allegedly maligned her on the matter in the blog, “pembelamelayu.blogspot”.
She also claimed that Utusan Melayu Sdn Bhd, the second defendant, had published the words uttered by Mohamad Khir in its newspaper on 8 Sept 2008 in an article entitled Ada usaha larang azan di masjid Selangor (Efforts to prohibit azan in Selangor mosques).
Kok claimed that the accusations by the defendants were baseless, with ill-intention, and carried the meaning that she was a racist and a politician who was anti-Islam and intolerant.
She also claimed that the accusations made by the defendants had resulted in her being detained under Internal Security Act on 12 Sept 2008 as well as damaged her reputation and credibility and also brought her to public scandal, odium and contempt.
She is seeking RM30 million in aggravated and exemplary damages as well as an injunction to refrain the defendants from publishing or spreading defamatory words against her.
Today’s suit is the third filed by Kok against Utusan Melayu Bhd this year, the first on 9 Oct over the ‘azan’ and then on 12 Dec over an article entitled Politik baru YBJ (YBJ’s new politics), which was published in Mingguan Malaysia. — Bernama
