KUALA LUMPUR, 27 Dec: Today the Kuala Lumpur High Court postponed Opposition Leader, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s RM50 million suit against Utusan Malaysia till January 22, next year.
The Kuala Lumpur High Court Judge, Datuk VT Singham, made the decision to re-evaluate all the facts pertaining to the case.
In his demands statement, Anwar claimed that Utusan Maaysia newspaper’s front page and page 10, dated January 17, 2012, in error and malice, had printed and published defamatory things about him.
Anwar claimed that the Utusan article titled “Reject Anwar-Hasan” defamed him as wanting to legalise homosexual activities.
In a press conference outside the court, Anwar, who is also the PRK Opposition Leader, homes that the court will come to a just decision which will serve as a guideline in the future for all parties.
“We support media freedom, but not media controlled by corrupt politicians who only use it to defame political opponents and to make them fall,” he said when shortly met by reporters today.
He explained that journalism ethics are increasingly being ignored by media controlled by Umno-BN.
“This is not just about Utusan, but the question of journalism ethics because previously, especially media owned by Umno-BN, are free to do whatever they want and to not be fair,” Anwar, who is also the Permatang Pauh Member of Parliament, said.
He was represented by his lawyer N Surendran and Latheefa Koya.
In the January 17 report, former Selangor PAS commissioner, Datuk Dr Hasan Ali, slammed Anwar for contesting laws related to homosexuality in this country.
Hasan had also urged the people to reject Anwar’s struggle.