May 15 hearing for Marina Mahathir’s defamation suit against ISMA

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KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court here yesterday set four days, from May 15 to hear social activist Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir’s defamation case against Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma).

The plaintiff had sued Isma for allegedly linking her with the Coalition of Malaysian NGOs in the UPR Process (Comango).

Judicial Commissioner Rosilah Yop who fixed the date in chambers also set April 15 for case management.

Counsel Muhammad Faizal Faiz Mohd Hasani represented Marina while counsel Azad Bashir represented the defendants during the proceeding.

Meanwhile, the defendants in their statement of defence denied Marina’s allegations, claiming the website in question, http://www.ismaweb.net and http://www.facebook.com/isma.malaysia did not belong to Isma.

In her suit filed last Jan 16, Marina who is also a member of the board of directors of Sisters in Islam (SiS), named Isma president Abdullah Zaik Abd Rahman, deputy president Aminuddin Yahaya, vice president Abdul Rahman Mat Dali and 13 committee members as the defendants.

In her statement of claim, she alleged that Isma circulated 70,000 pamplets with the heading, ‘Antara 54 NGO dalam Comango’ (Among the 54 NGOs in Comango) at mosques in Klang Valley, Kuala Lumpur, Shah Alam, Putrajaya, Seremban, Samarahan (Sarawak), Melaka, Kuantan and Kuala Terengganu on Nov 8 last year.

The Malaysian Aids Foundation former chairman further alleged that Isma also posted another article with the heading, ‘ISMA edar risalah dedah dalang Comango’ (ISMA distributed 70,000 pamplets exposing the masterminds in Comango) in its website and Facebook on the same day, Nov 8. — Bernama