Five individuals, PAS ordered to pay damages to ex-Penang PKR Wanita chief

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GEORGE TOWN: Five individuals and PAS have been found liable by the High Court here of making defamatory statements against former state Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Wanita chief Aminah Abdullah as published in the May 20-22, 2011 edition of Harakah.

Penang PKR Wanita chief Norhayati Jaafar as the first defendant, Jelutong PKR deputy chief Jab Samad (second defendant), Jelutong PKR secretary Anuar Kamaruddin (third defendant) have to pay RM30,000 each in damages to Aminah.

Judicial Commissioner Datuk GV Varughese also ordered Aminah to pay Harakah reporter Mohd Sabri Said (fourth defendant) and Harakah chief editor Ahmad Lutfi Othman (fourth defendant) RM15,000 in costs.

In her suit filed on June 15, 2011, Aminah claimed the article had cast aspersions on her as a person without religious faith, having no knowledge of Islam and receiving bribes from Umno, and alleged to have urged PKR president Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail to divorce her husband Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

She claimed the first three defendants issued slanderous statements of a personal nature against her with the intention to tarnish and discredit her good name and reputation, during a news conference at Galeri Pejuang, Cheruk Tok Kun, Bukit Mertajam around May 20-21, 2011.

She also claimed that the fourth and fifth defendants wrote and published respectively the article based on the press statements in the May 20-22, 2011 edition of Harakah. PAS was named as owners of the said newspaper.

Speaking to reporters outside the court, Aminah, who was accompanied by family members and friends, said she was thankful for the judgement.

“What matter most is the question of moral and dignity. Kak Min just wanted to win,” she said.

Aminah was represented by lawyer Saiful Ambar Abdullah Ambar while lawyer VS Raveentharan appeared for the defendants. — Bernama