KUALA LUMPUR: Jalur Tiga Malaysia (JATI) president Datuk Dr Hasan Mohamed Ali yesterday denied an allegation that he received sponsorship or contributions from Umno, Barisan Nasional (BN) and the Youth and Sports Ministry (KBS) when he went on his ceramah (talk) tour.
Hasan told the High Court here yesterday that the expenses for the ceramah were forked out from his own pocket, as well as contribution from the public. He was testifying in a trial of his defamation suit against PAS information chief Datuk Mahfuz Omar over a statement that he received aid from the government.
“I want to say that that the words uttered by the defendant (Mahfuz) at a media conference on March 2, 2012, at the PAS headquarters on the ceramah sponsored by KBS was false and not true at all,” he said when questioned by his counsel, Hasnal Rezua Merican.
The former PAS vice-president also told the court that the words were defamatory in nature and affected his reputation.
He said the statement issued by Mahfuz, who is Pokok Sena Member of Parliament, reflected him (Hasan) as a dishonest person, a hypocrite and a person not eligible to hold a political post or in a social organisation.
Hasan filed the writ of summons on April 12, 2012, claiming that Mahfuz had made a defamatory statement at a news conference on March 2 and it was published by several newspapers and posted on news portals. He is seeking general and exemplary damages, as well as an injunction to stop Mahfuz from repeating the alleged defamatory words.
The hearing before Judge Datuk Nor Bee Ariffin continues today. — Bernama