Selangor MB sues MACC and its chief for defamation

(Suara Keadilan) – Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim has filed a suit against the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission and its chief, Ahmad Said Hamdan, for defamation.

Khalid is suing Ahmad for saying that the MACC had strong evidence that he abused his powers as chief minister by purchasing 46 sacrificial cows for Hari Raya Haji celebrations and for using state funds to maintain his personal car, which he uses as his official transport.

“We have completed investigations and we are satisfied that there are elements of abuse of power on the part of the Selangor mentri besar,” Ahmad had said in a February edition of the New Straits Times.

According to Khalid, who has protested his innocence, the statements damaged his reputation and insinuated that he was dishonest, corrupt, unethical, untrustworthy and had committed a criminal offence.

“The defendants are not only maligning and defaming me, but have also crossed the lines of common decency by openly or subtly encouraging and instigating the stigmatisation and alienation to readers of the article,” Khalid said.

He is claiming an unspecified amount for compensatory, aggravated, exemplary, general and special damages and is also seeking a court order restraining the defendants from repeating the defamatory words.

Khalid’s counsel Sankaran Nair said that he had written to MACC on February 26  and March 19 seeking clarification on his client’s behalf. But the graft-buster did not respond and as such, Khalid has no choice but to file a defamation suit to clear his name.