Appeals Court allows defamation suit against Wanita Umno info chief to proceed

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PUTRAJAYA: The Appeals Court here yesterday ordered the defamation suit against Wanita Umno information chief Datuk Hamidah Osman over the posting of an alleged ‘superimposed’ photograph of Shah Alam Member of Parliament Khalid Abdul Samad clad in a priest’s robe to proceed for trial at the High Court.

A three-member panel led by Justice Datuk Ramly Ali unanimously dismissed Hamidah’s appeal to set aside a High Court decision which disallowed her application to strike out the suit filed against her by Khalid.

Justice Ramly, who presided on the panel with Justices Datuk Zaharah Ibrahim and Anantham Kasinater, also ordered Hamidah to pay RM5,000 in legal costs.

Khalid, who is PAS Commissioner III, filed a suit against Hamidah last year over the posting of a superimposed photograph of him on her blog on Jan 2010.

In his statement of claim, Khalid said that the picture portrayed him as a Christian priest and
an apostate.

Khalid is claiming an unspecified amount of damages, relief and other costs deemed fit by the court.

On June 1 this year, Hamidah was unsuccessful in her application at the Shah Alam High Court to strike out the defamation suit. — Bernama