KUALA LUMPUR: The legal dispute between Pahang Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob and Utusan Melayu (M) Bhd which became a landmark case yesterday, has been closed at the High Court.
Judge Datuk Yeoh Wee Siam made the decision after counsel for Utusan Elly Azreen Khalid updated the court today on the Court of Appeal's ruling that struck out the suit by Adnan against the Malay newspaper yesterday.
Elly told reporters that the file of the civil case was closed as the court was bound by the decision of the Court of Appeal.
"We have informed the court on the outcome of the case at the Court of Appeal and the court had decided to close the file as it is bound by yesterday's ruling," she said after the matter was brought up for case management in chambers.
Yesterday, in a landmark decision, the Court of Appeal ruled that public figures who held public office cannot sue the media for defamation.
A three-man bench chaired by Datuk Rohana Yusuf unanimously decided that the article, in its context and as a whole, had referred Adnan in his capacity as menteri besar and not as an individual private person.
The decision was made after the Apex Court allowed Utusan's appeal to strike out the defamation suit brought against it by Adnan.
Adnan filed the suit on Dec 5, 2014 following a Nov 9, 2014 article titled "Hebat Sangatkah Adnan" in Mingguan Malaysia under the column, Analisis Mingguan Bisik-Bisik Awang Selamat.
He claimed that the article had portrayed him as unfit to hold the post of Pahang Menteri Besar, had failed to carry out his responsibilities, overstayed his welcome and was pretentious.
He further alleged that the article had tarnished his reputation.
Counsel Americk Sidhu represented Adnan.