Seputeh MP Teresa Kok has filed a RM30 million defamation suit against Utusan Melayu and its columnist Mohd Zaini Hassan.
She is seeking RM30 million in damages over an article titled “Azan, Jawi, Jais, UiTM dan ba-alif-ba-ya” published in the Malay-language newspaper on Sept 10 which she alleges was maliciously intended to defame her.
The article had accused her of leading a petition to stop the use of loudspeakers at a mosque when performing azan prayers. Kok has denied these claims.
Calling it “highly defamatory”, the Selangor exco member told The Malaysian Insider that the article had resulted in her week-long detention last month under the Internal Security Act.
“I think I have a strong case. When I was under detention the three questions they asked were all in connection to that article.
“After I was released, you can see how they attacked me. Just because I wanted to sue them, they tried to make me look bad in the media.”
Her statement of claim was filed at 8.42am at the High Court here by her legal representatives S.N. Nair & Partners.
It alleges that “the defendants published the said article with the intention calculated to disparage the plaintiff in both her private and official capacities, including her capacity as a Member of Parliament Malaysia, Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri Selangor and Senior State Executive Council Member of the State of Selangor.”
Kok added that when she checked with the police two days ago, the report her legal counsel had lodged against the paper and Zaini while she was under detention was “still under investigation.”
According to the DAP national organising secretary, the police told her that an investigating file had been opened under the Printing Presses and Publications Act, Section 8A for false news but “no action has been taken” against the paper or Zaini, who is also an editor at the publication.
She also said that a demand through her solicitor on Sept 15 for a retraction, an apology and damages had been ignored by the defendants.
hi, this is my first time leaving a comment here.
first off, congratulations for doing what is right.
secondly, noticed that in the malaysiakini report, you wore a baju kurung/kebaya (aka kebarung) and smart move, it can bridge and stop whatever smear the “opposition” might have…congratulations for dressing “malaysian”
looking forward to a more just malaysia…
(Teresa has been wearing baju kurung/kebaya on a regular basis for the last 10 years.) 🙂 Moderator
Teresa is a decent human being. It is not the dress that makes a person decent. Her entire being is decent and holy.
Our society focuses too much on the externals.
Anyway, congratulations of the suit.
This is the only way to teach Utusan a lesson. As for police action, we can forget it.
Not once has any action against this paper for its hate and gutter journalism. Certain papers and people are above the law.
YES, YES AND YESSSS !!!
This is what we all have been waiting for.
And MR SMITH is right, it is not the dress that matters, she is already dubbed, Mother Teresa of Malaysia. She cared even for the sick moslems.
In Sabah, nobody buys the UTUSAN, in fact it is not found amongst all our newspapers, I see the star, New str times, but NO Utusan. As i emailed all my friends, it is not even worth using as toilet paper.. ha ha ha
or it is not even worthy to wrap fish at the wet market.
And right too, the police will never take action because UTUSAN belongs to UMNO and C4s… police cannot take action against super previleged people….
Teresa is one of those rare individuals that are beautiful on the outside and on the inside.
Good luck with the lawsuit!
God bless our dear Sassy MP.
RM 30 million suit against the Utusan Melayu. Is it the beginning of the attack on the UMNO governing party? Certain people may look at this is an attempt to round up the indirect attack against the UMNO party which have indirect interest in this newspapers operation.
We believe in the freedom of press and expression of liberty in our expression as a journalist and as far as possible to express the truthful circumstances that have befallen the situation. At time opinion being generated in the column. Politic should not be a governing factor in the controlling of the freedom of press. But rather expression of the public so that the source of channel will be used by the people as a mean to express out their dissatisfaction.
That is why it is a conflict of interest to the journalism practice to have an investment share of certain political party to the body of press and journalism. Most politician want to have a mode of newspaper or other media like television and other mean of communication channel to suppress or influence their ideology of the political belief down toward and brain wash in certain degree of influence.
Unfortunately, with the wide spread of internet capability. No longer the other mode has been greater influence to the communion of nation at large, thus is being united with more liberation in communication within the national and international border.
But the truth is the absolute truth there is still no freedom, no liberation and no fully expression. Because at time the liberation on whatsoever perspective or angle in the respective point of view may bring destruction too…
Think about it?
Please sue these racialistic garbage reporting Umno paper especially that racialistic scumbag Umno lapdog MZH till their pants drop. Dont give them any chance or leeway. Whacked them till kingdom comes. And dont forget that sore loser and “pendatang” idiot KT.
We will be watching their actions from now on.
I am sure many peace loving rakyat will chip in to help, with both financial and moral support.