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Mega-$$$ suits are back...only more lethal

Yesterday, the Kuala Lumpur High Court granted New Straits Times Press Bhd deputy chairman Kalimullah Masheerul Hassan an ex parte injunction against lawyer Matthias Chang, restraining him from repeating allegations made at a June 13 press conference pending trial for defamation in which Kalimullah had claimed damages of RM50 million.

Kalimullah's counsel, Prakash Menon, said a demand letter was issued to Chang, asking him to apologise and pay damages.

However, according to theSun, Chang had filed a counter-suit for RM100 million for an article that Kalimullah had written on June 11, which Chang claimed defamed him.

I was told Chang will be calling for a pressie at 12.00 noon at his office in Wisma Permata today to respond to Kalimullah.

Meanwhile, Singapore Press Holdings Ltd published an "unreserved apology" to Kalimullah in yesterday's edition of The Straits Times for an article, written by KL-based correspondent Leslie Lau, it published on June 14.

MGG Pillai held on to his ground and went to grave without paying a single sen for his being sued for libelling a tycoon. The Court was in the process of reviewing his appeal when MGG passed on.

The tag, back then in 1998, was an unprecedented RM2 million.

Welcome Singapore. Hallmark of Harry Lee is being refined and redefined over here.

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Comments

that's why uncle jeff bely careful in choosing his words and moderating comments posted, on people and organisation who has the means to sue..... perhaps less careful on those who has no/less means to do so.....
but the puppet courts era is becoming history with dr.m not at the helm. i'm more interested in how the judges will perform now....

At the rate the lawsuits and counter-lawsuits are going, it may come up to the figure of the scenic bridge project cost... go figure :)

I need to move back home and start rubbing shoulders with some politicians, and sue for defamation when people starts saying bad things about me.

Inflationary cost-mah, that's why the amount went up *wink* *wink*

This spat is getting out of hand. On Gerbang Perdana's claim, they could have been instigated to increase their compensation to that of building the scenic bridge. I notice that Tans Sri razali Ismail, chairman of gerbang Perdana was in the newspapers defending their company's right to such claim. The same Razali who has an interest in Mykad? Another crony backlash for AAB?

I would like to propose that all Malaysians, individuals and NGOs alike, put forward their support for the current move by NTSP Deputy Chairman, Kalimullah Hassan, in suing former Dr M Political Secretary, Matthias Chang, for defamation as reported here.

This and Matthias Chang's own counter-sue should benefit the nation in that it would allow:

1 - The evidence for claims by Matthias on undue influence of Kalimullah and others on the current Pak Lah administration will be given a public airing and included in the public record for due consideration not just by the court, but by the people today and in the future.

2 - The case will allow the judiciary to adjudicate on what may or may not be considered undue influence by individuals on an elected government of Malaysia based on the merits of the evidence presented.

3 - By the merits of the evidence, the court's own final rulings and sentencing should prove testament to the people of Malaysia of the improvement in the independence of the judiciary during Pak Lah's administration.

I believe that the people of Malaysia should also insist that, due to the case being tried being a matter of public interest, all proceedings, evidence and events related to the case should be openly reported in the Malaysian mainstream press, much like the events of the D.S. Anwar Ibrahim trials were. Also similar to the Anwar trials, these cases should be expedited as much as practicable for hearing.

I hope the many readers here can take this proposal into consideration and pass it on to your respective organisations, or indeed act on your own individual consciences.

ROFL, I bet when Mack wrongly interpret the posting the wedding invitation as act of "broking some father heart"; he will not know that the "broken heart father" has something lethal brewing. ;)

For 1st world public, libel become David vs Goliath episode or rich vs poor joe public cases. If a 1st world media tycoon sue a jouanlist for libel, he is asking for disaster.

JEFF OOI says: Heard it from the mamak restaurant... when you sue Spore ST and ST kowtow, you are certified not a Singapore spy.

sydput,

the MyKad company is our FM little brother one, not Razali.

JEFF OOI says: MyKad's turnkey implementor is Iris Berhad. If you company-search Iris, it will lead you to Razali Ismail. Search further, he is also the one who tried to seel Mykad to Myanmar when he was tasked by the UN as its rapporteur to look into the Aung Sang Su Kee's human rights issue. Search further, and ...

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