FELDA SUES WAN AZIZAH

Felda sues Wan Azizah, PKR for RM200 million

UPDATED @ 05:29:00 PM 16-08-2010

By Debra Chong and Shazwan Mustafa Kamal

August 16, 2010

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 16 – The Federal Land Development Authority (Felda) filed today a RM200 million defamation suit against PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail at the High Court here, for saying the agency was bankrupt in a party paper.

It also named five others as defendants in the civil suit. They are PKR deputy president Dr Syed Husin Ali, Suara Keadilan editor Dzulkarnain Taib, writer Rusnizam Mahat, printer Pelita Koridor Sdn Bhd and publisher Percetakan NPK Sdn Bhd.

Lawyer Datuk Hafarizam Harun who is acting for Felda added that its subsidiary, Felda Global Ventures Holdings Sdn Bhd, is also listed as the co-plaintiff.

Dr Wan Azizah and Syed Husin were sued in their capacity as office bearers for PKR, which owns the opposition newspaper, Suara Keadilan, based on Section 9(c) of the Societies Act 1966.

“My lawyers are handling the matter as we speak,” Dr Wan Azizah told The Malaysian Insider immediately after being told she was being sued, but declined to comment further.

The former Permatang Pauh MP was in court today attending her husband, Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s, ongoing sodomy trial.

In its statement of claim today, the national land agency said Suara Keadilan had falsely and maliciously published a series of reports in its June 22-29 issue, with the intention “to damage and destroy [its] local and global reputation”.

The allegedly defamatory articles are headlined: “Felda Bangkrap” on its front page; “Bina Bangunan RM662 juta hanya libatkan tiga individu”, and a photograph with the caption “KONTROVERSI ... Bangunan Felda yang dikatakan bernilai RM622 juta merupakan satu pembaziran. Bangunan ini didakwa dibina bukan atas keperluan sendiri tetapi untuk kroni”.

Felda added that the published reports, which referred to a building located strategically in KL’s “Golden Triangle” known as Menara Felda, had cast aspersions on the entire buying and development process and suggested criminal wrongdoing was involved.

“The allegations are so serious that the plaintiffs [Felda and its subsidiary] would be held in contempt and odium by the general public and society at large both in Malaysia and internationally ... the damage to the reputation of the plaintiffs in the eyes of the Felda settlers is particularly grave and extensive.

“The damage to the plaintiffs’ reputation are of a magnitude that would last for years in view of the wide publication and distribution of the said newspaper and the large interests of the plaintiffs’ economic activities and role in the economy of Malaysia and its interests globally,” it said in the filing today.

Felda is demanding each of the five named in the suit pay RM200 million in damages and wants a court order to stop them reproducing the allegations and a public apology.

MI