Hishammuddin seeks to strike out part of Anwar's defence statement

KUALA LUMPUR: Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein is
applying to strike out part of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's defence
statement in his suit against Anwar over the sex video featuring a man
resembling the opposition leader.

Counsel Sunil Abraham,
representing Hishammuddin, told the High Court on Monday, July 25 that
his client wanted to strike out certain parts of Anwar's statement of
defence.

Judge Datuk V.T. Singham set Aug 26 for case management and informed Sunil to file the application within this week.

Justice Singham also ordered Sunil to serve the application to Anwar's
counsel by Aug 2. Counsel J. Leela is representing Anwar.

On
April 26, Hishammuddin sued Anwar for defamation over an interview the
opposition leader had with the media on March 22 after lodging a report
denying that he was the man in the video, at the Dang Wangi police
station, here.

Hishammuddin, 50, said the words were understood
to mean that he was responsible for screening the video to a group of
editors and journalists at Carcosa Seri Negara Hotel on March 21.

The minister said the words were also understood to mean that he had
arranged for the screening of the video and plotted with the prime
minister and the police top brass to have it done.

In his
statement of defence, Anwar countered that the words uttered by him
were published on an occasion of qualified privilege and published in
the reasonable protection of his own legitimate interest as Opposition
Leader.

Anwar also filed a counter-claim saying that
Hishammuddin's words in his press conference on March 21, gave weight
to the assertion by the three persons who exposed the video that the
man featured in it was him (Anwar).

Hishammuddin, in his
reply, said that Anwar had ill intentions in uttering malicious words
which were later widely reported in the media and the Internet.

He said the words were not published in good faith and that the main
motive of Anwar was to injure his reputation as a minister and
politician. - Bernama

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