Anwar's suit against Anifah set for Aug 25

KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court today set Aug 25 to hear the RM100 million defamation suit filed by Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim against Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman.
The suit was related to the minister's remarks during a media conference in Washington five years ago.
Judge Siti Khadijah S. Hassan Badjenid set the date in chambers after meeting counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, who is representing Anifah, and Latheefa Koya, for Anwar.
Latheefa told reporters the court also fixed Aug 27-29, Sept 15-17 and Oct 8 for hearing and May 2, for case management.
The case was fixed for trial after the Federal Court ordered it to be reverted to the High Court for hearing last April 1.
The Federal Court made the decision after rejecting an application from Anifah to allow an appeal against the Appeal Court's ruling on Jan 25, 2013, which revived Anwar's civil suit against Anifah in the minister's personal capacity.
On Jan 6, 2011, High Court Judge Datuk John Louis O'Hara struck off the suit after allowing an application from Anifah and the government to strike it off in connection with the remarks made by the minister in May 2009 during a media conference at the State Department in Washington.
On May 27, 2008, Anwar sued Anifah, in his official and personal capacity, and the Malaysian government for allegedly defaming him during Anifah's joint media conference with then US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
He claimed Anifah's remarks were baseless and had been reported widely in the local and foreign media. – Bernama