KUALA LUMPUR: PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar has sued Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar and cabinet minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob over allegations of treason linked to her meeting with self-styled Sulu princess Jacel Kiram.
Lembah Pantai member of parliament (MP) Nurul Izzah filed the legal action through her counsel N. Surendran at the High Court Registry here late this morning.
Nurul Izzah claimed that Khalid uttered the defamatory words during a press conference at the Federal Police Headquarters at Bukit Aman on Nov 22.
She alleged that Ismail Sabri, who is also Rural and Regional Development Minister, uttered defamatory statements during a media event at his constituency in Bera, Pahang, on the same day.
She claimed that the words implied that she was involved in the Sulu intrusion at Sabah two years ago and that she had betrayed the country, among others.
Nurul Izzah said that the two defendants' words were carried by television news networks like RTM (Radio Televisyen Malaysia) and newspapers like Utusan Malaysia.
Nurul Izzah is seeking general and aggravated damages, an injunction to restrain the defendants from further repeating the allegation, interest, cost, and any other relief deemed fit by the court.
Nurul Izzah's co-counsel Latheefa Koya said that as soon as the court papers are extracted from the High Court Registry, the suit would be served on Khalid and Ismail Sabri.
The issue exploded when pictures of the Nov 9 meeting in Manila between Nurul Izzah and Jacel, who is the daughter of Jamalul Kiram III, went viral on social media.
Jacel was the spokesman of the so-called "Sulu Sultanate" led by her late father during the Lahad Datu intrusion in February 2013.