KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court yesterday proposed that a defamation suit filed by Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar against Utusan Malaysia editor-in-chief, Datuk Aziz Ishak, and Utusan Melayu (Malaysia) Berhad be resolved through mediation.
Judge Datuk Hue Siew Kheng made the proposal after the case was mentioned in chambers in the presence of counsel Azhana Mohd Khairuddin, representing Nurul Izzah, and counsel Asmirul Asraf Fadli representing Utusan.
Azhana told reporters that the court was granting the plaintiff and defendant until May 26 to discuss the mediation process.
He said, if both sides failed to reach a settlement, the court set two days from Aug 21 for the trial.
Nurul Izzah had filed the suit on Nov 23, 2012, alleging that Aziz and Utusan, as first and second defendants, had twisted her statement at a forum on religious freedom of the Malays.
In her statement of claim, the Parti Keadilan Rakyat vice-president claimed that four articles published by the newspaper on Nov 6 and 7, 2012, contained words defamatory to her.
Nurul Izzah is seeking a court order to have the two defendants make an apology and withdraw the alleged defamation against her, to be made within 24 hours from the date of the court order.
She is also seeking general, exemplary and aggravated damages and costs deemed fit by the court. — Bernama