KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court today dismissed an application by former Human Resource minister M. Kulasegaran to seek RM100,000 in security costs from controversial Muslim preacher Dr Zakir Naik.
Judicial Commissioner Quay Chew Soon said Kulasegaran had failed to prove that Dr Zakir was not ordinarily residing in Malaysia.
"My client is a permanent resident with red Mykad holder," Dr Zakir's counsel Datuk Akberdin Abdul Kader said.
Security for costs is a payment or deposit of money or some form of security in lieu thereof, into court, by a litigant to secure the payment of such costs if such person does not prevail.
Akberdin and Datuk Sulaiman Abdullah appeared for Dr Zakir while lawyer K. Shanmuga appeared for Kulasegaran.
On Nov 27 last year, Dr Zakir filed a defamation suit against Kulasegaran over his remarks that allegedly opened him to public ridicule and portrayed him as a threat to national security.
The plaintiff is seeking compensation and damage claims from the defendant, as well as a court injunction prohibiting him from publishing and distributing four defamatory news articles in any medium.
Dr Zakir also demanded an apology be issued and published in newspapers and online news portals within seven days from when the notice was served.
The notices claimed the respondents made remarks about Zakir that were malicious, spurious and defamatory.