IF NAJIB, AN EX-PM, CAN GO TO JAIL – WHY NOT KEDAH MB SANUSI? – DESPITE INJUNCTION, PAS MAN STUBBORNLY PLAYS THE RELIGION CARD OVER APPEALS COURT JUDGMENT AGAINST HIM – IN CLEAR CUT CASE OF CONTEMPT & DEFIANCE OF THE COURTS

Politics | April 4, 2023 5:46 pm by | 0 Comments

In ‘walking the talk’, Kedah MB walks into possible legal snag

Kedah Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Mohd Nor’s attempt to show that the Court of Appeal judgment against him would not deter his commitment to eradicating gambling activities might land him in another legal conundrum.

This is because the PAS leader reposted the defamatory statement on Facebook despite an injunction restraining him from doing so.

His latest post, in which Sanusi stressed that PAS “walked the talk”, was in response to yesterday’s Court of Appeal decision for him to pay an increased sum of RM120,000 in damages to former Pokok Sena MP Mahfuz Omar.

“This is the posting for which I was found to be in the wrong and the High Court ordered me to pay RM50,000 in damages (and RM15,000 in cost). The Court of Appeal then increased (the quantum) to RM120,000 because the plaintiff (Mahfuz) felt that RM50,000 is too low.

Mahfuz had filed the suit against Sanusi in 2019 over the Facebook post (below), which had linked him to the transfer of a Sports Toto outlet in Pokok Sena, Kedah.

He also accused Sanusi of uploading a video on his Facebook depicting a protest at the opening of a Sports Toto outlet in Pokok Sena, where there was a banner with Mahfuz’s name.

On Nov 8, 2021, the High Court granted an injunction to restrain Sanusi or his agents from further publishing defamatory words against Mahfuz.

Meanwhile, in his latest posting, the menteri besar said he would “endeavour to pay the damages” as it is his responsibility to do so following the court’s verdict.

“Whatever the amount, I will endeavour to pay.

“Never will I take the easy route or backpedal on the struggle for political interests, or out of concern of losing support and allow the people of this state to become gamblers,” he added.

Sanusi reiterated his commitment to eradicating gambling activities in the state and noted that licences for such premises were no longer issued after December last year.

“From January 2023, licences for such premises throughout Kedah were not issued in line with PAS’ stand to halt activities which can ruin society,” he added.

As for illegal gambling premises in the state, Sanusi said the police and local authorities “have and would continue to take action”.

“This is what it means not to ‘play around’ or take the easy route when it comes to gambling. We walk the talk,” he added.

MKINI