SIK: Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor said his victory in his defamation suit against Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail should serve as a lesson to all.
He said everyone, especially those in high office, must be mindful of their words as their statements carry weight and consequence.
“I do not wish to insult those who wronged me. Let this be a reminder for all. ‘Yang buruk jadikan sempadan, yang baik jadikan teladan.’ (Take the bad as a boundary and the good as guidance.)
“Do not utter untruths. Do not concoct stories to tarnish others. If one does not repent in this world, one will have to answer in the hereafter,” he told reporters today.
On Sunday, the Alor Star High Court ruled that Saifuddin had defamed Sanusi in his allegations on rare earth theft and the misappropriation of Malaysian Road Records Information System funds in 2023.
Judge Dr John Lee Kien How @ Mohamad Johan Lee ordered Saifuddin to pay RM600,000 in general damages and RM70,000 in costs to Sanusi.
Saifuddin said he had instructed his legal team to file an appeal, arguing that there were strong legal grounds to challenge the ruling.
The case arose from two statements Saifuddin made during the Kedah election campaign in July 2023.
The remarks were delivered at the Unity Tour programme and the launch of the Kedah Unity Machinery event in Guar Chempedak, Yan, on July 15, 2023.
Sanusi said though the process was challenging, truth prevailed.
He criticised the senior minister for making accusations during a ceramah instead of using proper channels.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
