KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has been granted an inter-parte injunction (two parties) against Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor at the Alor Star High Court.
The injunction bars Sanusi from uttering, repeating and publishing defamatory and slanderous statements against Anwar, in any way or form, until the case is disposed.
Anwar's counsel Datuk Sankara Nair said High Court Judge Mahazan Mat Taib granted the inter-parte injunction application.
"After hearing submissions from both parties (on Oct 16), the court today allowed the plaintiff's (Anwar) application and granted an the inter-parte injunction (restraining order) against the defendant (Sanusi) until the disposal of the suit.
"The matter is now fixed for next case management on Feb 19 through e-review before the registrar for status update on the filing of pretrial documents," said Sankara.
Sankara and Jaden Phoon Wai Ken appeared for Anwar while Yusfarizal Yussoff and Adam Luqman Amdan stood for Sanusi, who is Kedah's Jeneri state assemblyman and Pas election director.
On July 30, Anwar, who is also Pakatan Harapan chairman and PKR president, was granted ex-parte interim injunction against Sanusi by Mahazan on the same grounds.
An ex-parte application means only the party seeking the injunction has the opportunity to put its case to the court. An inter-parte application however, will see the court hear both sides' of the arguments
Sankara had said the application for the injunction, which was filed on July 26, came after Sanusi's speeches made on two separate occasions at "Jelajah PN Best Negri Sembilan" in Nilai, on March 18 and "Jelajah Selangor Baharu-Selayang" in Selayang on July 11 this year.
Anwar filed a defamation suit against Sanusi on Dec 13 last year, over the latter's statement made during a 15th General Election (GE15) ceramah in Tambun, Perak, last year.
Based on the writ of demands, Anwar claimed that the Kedah Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman, on Nov 13, had given a ceramah in support of the coalition's Tambun parliamentary candidate Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu, which was attended by tens of thousands of supporters.
Sanusi, in the speech, had allegedly claimed that Anwar was a fraud, untrustworthy and unethical and had betrayed the people's mandate.
Anwar, in his suit, is seeking for compensation on general, severe and exemplary damages, as well as an injunctive order to restrain the defendant from further disclosing, composing or publishing similar statements against him.
He is also seeking for the defendant to pay five per cent per year on the sum of the judgement, from the date of accrual of action until the date of full settlement, costs of a solicitor and client basis, as well as other reliefs that the court deems fair and appropriate.