WHAT! PAS MB SANUSI STILL OWES PAKATAN’S MAHFUZ OMAR RM120,000 – YET STILL DARES TO ACCUSE MAHFUZ OF ‘CHEAP PUBLICITY STUNT’? – DOES SANUSI WANT ANOTHER DEFAMATION SUIT, PAY ANOTHER RM120,000 DAMAGES? – HOW BLUR, ARROGANT & UNREPENTANT IS THIS?!!

Politics | May 3, 2023 1:01 pm by | 0 Comments

Kedah MB asks state Pakatan chairman to consult lawyer over RM120,000 damages award in defamation case

KUALA LUMPUR — Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor has asked state Pakatan Harapan chairman Datuk Mahfuz Omar to refer to their respective legal teams for the process to receive the damages awarded to the latter in their defamation lawsuit.

According to Sinar Harian, Muhammad Sanusi described Mahfuz’s decision to record a video asking for the RM120,000 award and then share it on social media as a “cheap publicity stunt” as the case had always been handled by their lawyers from the very beginning.

According to him, all related matters including the payment of Mahfuz’s award will also be handled by lawyers.

“All matters related to suits, affidavits or defence are handled by lawyers, not me dealing directly with him.

“From the very beginning, this process was handled by my lawyers and Mahfuz’s lawyers, from the hearing of the case to its completion. So, it is not right lah if Mahfuz tries to act on his own about the payment,” he was quoted as saying by Sinar Harian yesterday.

Muhammad Sanusi, who is also Kedah Perikatan Nasional chairman, advised Mahfuz to be patient because any legal process usually takes time.

“My advice is to be patient and consult your lawyers. I will ask my lawyers to handle the payment and it will be handled by my lawyers and Mahfuz’s lawyers, not Sanusi and Mahfuz,” he was reported as saying in what the newspaper described as “a sarcastic tone”.

On April 3, the Court of Appeal ordered Muhammad Sanusi to pay an increased sum of damages of RM120,000 to Mahfuz for defamation.

Muhammad Sanusi was also ordered to pay RM10,000 in legal costs.

In November 2021, High Court Judicial Commissioner Mohd Arief Emran Arifin allowed Mahfuz’s defamation suit and ordered Muhammad Sanusi to pay RM50,000 in damages to Mahfuz.

The Judicial Commissioner also gave an injunction order to restrain Muhammad Sanusi or his agents from further publishing defamatory words against Mahfuz.

According to Bernama, Mahfuz filed the suit on October 9, 2019, over a post made by Muhammad Sanusi on his Facebook account on July 30 the same year, linking Mahfuz as the then Pokok Sena MP to a matter involving the transfer of a Sports Toto outlet to the area.

Mahfuz also claimed that Muhammad Sanusi posted a video on his Facebook account on July 27, 2019, which showed a group of individuals protesting the opening of a Sports Toto outlet in Pokok Sena, while holding a banner bearing Mahfuz’s name.

MALAY MAIL