KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has filed a defamation suit against Perak Pas chief Razman Zakaria over claims that the former wanted to promote an LGBT agenda in this country.
Anwar who is also Tambun member of parliament filed the suit via Messrs S.N. Nair & Partners at the Perak High Court and named Razman as the sole defendant.
Razman, during his 15th General Election campaign at the Tebuk Pancur night market, alleged that Anwar was pursuing an LGBT agenda and wanted to legalise same-sex marriage.
He also alleged that DAP had a communist agenda and that Muslims in the country must not vote for its candidates.
Anwar, on Nov 9, then sent a letter of demand to Razman and asking for RM5 million in damages for the serious injury to his reputation and to pay all legal costs from this matter.
Anwar in his statement of claims said the impugned statement were malicious, prejudicial and had tarnished his reputation.
"The plaintiff has a reputable image on the world stage and in Malaysia and has always been an ardent advocate of Islamic teachings and core values.
"The plaintiff has always denounced all allegations in respect of the LGBT agenda and has been fighting for the larger reform agenda for the governance of the nation.
"The said impugned publications by the defendant are detrimental to the image and the good reputation of the plaintiff as PKR president, Pakatan Harapan chairman, MP and the 10th prime minister," he said.
Anwar claimed that the impugned publications were baseless and contain falsehoods that incorrectly portrays him as a person with LGBT or woke agendas.
He claimed the statement also intended to lower the plaintiff's self-esteem in the eyes of the general public, both locally and internationally, and have exposed him to public hatred.
"Defendant's actions are clearly motivated by bad motives, malicious intentions and an abomination in that it suggests lack of moral turpitude and legal misconduct on the plaintiff's part.
"The impugned publications are pre-meditated and intended to seriously taint, harm, defame, and tarnish the plaintiff's reputation and character being a devout Muslim," he claimed, adding that Razman had been reluctant to apologise but continue to publish the impugned publications.
The plaintiff is seeking an injunction to restrain the defendant from further uttering, writing, or publishing the impugned publications or words as well as general, compensatory, aggravated, and exemplary damages.
It was reported that Perak police chief Datuk Mohd Yusri Hassan Basri said police have opened an investigation paper on the alleged defamatory and malicious remarks made by Razman.
He had said the investigation would be carried out under Section 505(b) of the Penal Code and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.