KUALA LUMPUR: Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Dr Mohd Na’im Mokhtar has demanded that a Facebook user admit to making defamatory statements and issue a public apology.
Failure to do so would see Na’im launch a RM10 million lawsuit.
In a letter of demand dated today issued to one Muhammad Hafiz Sahidi based in Marang, Terengganu, through law firm Akberdin & Co, Na’im’s lawyers stated that two Facebook postings contained false, malicious and gravely defamatory imputations against their client.
The postings wrote of alleged rape, murder, bully and intoxication in schools which led to closures of pondok schools and that the religious affairs minister was not smart with his words, further adding that unregistered pondok schools in Kelantan and Kedah are expected to be ordered to shut.
Na’im contended that the false and reckless publications implied he was incompetent, unintelligent and unfit to hold office, indifferent towards moral and criminal misconduct in schools, complicit in or supports the alleged closure of pondok institutions, negligently acting against or disregards the Islamic values of educational integrity.
He said it imputed that he had betrayed the public trust of the religious community, thereby eroding public confidence in his ministry and the government.
The law firm said the impugned statement is defamatory, being calculated and intended to expose Na’im to public hatred, contempt and ridicule and to disparage the integrity, governance role of his role in the eyes of right thinking members of society.
It also said that it depicted that Na’im is personally responsible for and has directed the closure of unregistered pondok institutions in Kelantan and Kedah.
“It thereby suggests he is anti-Islamic, oppressive towards religious education and destructive to traditional Islamic learning institutions which form the moral backbone of the Muslim community.
“It also suggested that he has abused his ministerial authority and betrayed the trust reposed in him by His Majesty, government and the Muslim ummah, by acting against the interests of Islamic scholars, teachers and students.
“It imputed that he is an inept, unintelligent and unfit public officer who speaks thoughtlessly and irresponsibly, implying that our client lacks the intellectual and moral capacity to discharge the high duties of his ministerial office.
“The defamatory statement is wholly untrue, baseless and constitutes gross defamation of our client’s character, integrity, and reputation, both in his personal and official capacities.
“Hafiz’s actions are tantamount to a deliberate and malicious attack calculated to undermine public confidence in our client and to expose him to public odium and contempt, among other things,” said the letter of demand.
The law firm said it was instructed by Na’im to demand for Hafiz to admit liability and retract the allegations made against their client.
It demanded an immediate removal of all defamatory, untrue, fallacious allegations, accusations, remarks from all social media platforms and websites, future publications of such nature and to issue an unreserved apology within to be posted and uploaded on Hafizi’s social media or website for 30 days.
It said Hafizi must make an offer of a reasonable sum of settlement to Na’im for the damage, embarrassment, humiliation and dishonour caused.
Last week, Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil had said the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission was probing individuals for spreading fake news alleging that the government plans to close unregistered pondok schools in Kelantan and Kedah.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
