KUALA LUMPUR: Political secretary to PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Farhash Wafa Salvador Rizal Mubarak has filed a defamation suit against former PKR research assistant Muhammad Yusoff Rawther over claims that he had assaulted the latter.
This is in relation with a statutory declaration (SD) read out by Yusoff at a press conference on Dec 4, last year, that was published on Facebook page “Solidariti Buat Muhammed Yusoff Rawther” (Solidarity For Muhammed Yusoff Rawther) which hit headlines.
Farhash filed the suit, last Friday (Jan 24) at the High Court Registry, here, through Messrs Kumar Thangaraj & Co.
His counsel T.Kumar told reporters today that the writ of summons has not been served to the defendant (Yusoff) since the case had been reclassified.
“The reclassification is only for the court’s administration purposes. The court felt that the case should be reclassified because the issue arises from the speech uploaded on Facebook.
“The case is still under defamation,” he said after the case came up for case management before deputy registrar Rumaizah Baharom.
He said the case will be heard by judge Datuk Nik Hasmat Nik Mohamad.
In his statement of claim, Farhash alleged that Yusoff during a press conference alleged that he (Farhash) had physically assaulted the latter, in May, last year.
He claimed that a video recording of the press conference was uploaded on the “Solidariti for Muhammed Yusoff Rawther” Facebook page.
The Perak PKR chief claimed that the defendant who was also Anwar's former aide had maliciously published the alleged defamatory words against him without a just cause, with knowledge and intention for it to be carried out by the local media and for the said video recording to be uploaded to Facebook and other social media platforms.
He alleged that the detrimental impugned words were published to jeopardise his image and reputation as a politician in the eyes of the public.
He also claimed that the words uttered by Yusoff as a whole had portrayed him among others a person who is violent, disreputable, cruel, having acted wildly, a bully, not possessing decorum while in office, and a criminal.
His lawsuit also asserted that Yusoff through law firm Messrs Hanif Khatri, rejected a letter of demand dated Dec 30 he sent, demanding retraction of the words and an apology.
Farhash, 38, is seeking among others for general, aggravated and exemplary damages as well as an injunction to prevent Yusoff from further publishing and/or continuing to publish the defamatory words against him.
Yusoff, 27, had on Dec 4, last year, held a press conference claiming that there was no action taken by the authorities despite furnishing a medical report on the injuries he sustained due to the alleged assault.