IPOH: The hearing for the defamation suit filed by former Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Nizar Jamaluddin against Perak Pas Commissioner Razman Zakaria was postponed as both parties failed to reach an amicable settlement after a mediation session this morning.
Sessions Court Judge Sunita Kaur set Nov 24 for the hearing.
Lawyer Asmuni Awi, who represented Nizar, said his client had asked for an apology in court and cost action of RM10,000.
''This was rejected by the defendant (Razman). In his counter suit, Razman later said Nizar had defamed him based on a few media statements.
''However, Razman did not specify which (parts) of the published media statements (were defamatory),'' Asmuni said.
Referring to the counter claim, Asmuni said it was prepared as if Nizar had defamed Pas as a party and not Razman as an individual.
''Razman's action of filing the lawsuit is against standard procedure, as societies (such as Pas) can only file a lawsuit (against) another party through its public officer," he said, citing the case of Zainal Abidin vs Lim Guan Eng in Penang in 2012. The court had dismissed the case after Lim filed an objection, as the plaintiff had filed the suit against him in the capacity of a DAP leader and not as an individual.
Razman’s lawyer, Mohd Zamri Ibrahim, said that as his client did not agree to Nizar's suggestion of settlement, he had suggested that both parties withdraw their lawsuits without cost, but Nizar refused.
Previously, Nizar filed a lawsuit of RM3 million against Razman for defamation, referring to an article published by the Perak edition of the Malay language daily Sinar Harian, dated June 2, 2015, titled "Nizar's Approach similar to DAP".
In response, Razman filed a counter claim suit accusing Nizar of making derogatory remarks against him which were published by the media.