Lorry driver's defamation suit against NSTP dismissed

KUALA LUMPUR: A lorry driver's defamation suit against the New Straits Times Press (M) Berhad and a reporter over an article, which was published in Harian Metro, was dismissed with RM10,000 costs by the High Court today.
Azri Abdullah, 32, had failed in the suit against NSTP and Wan Asrudi Wan Hasan over an article published on Oct 20, 2012.
High Court Judge Datuk Nor Bee Ariffin said Azri had failed to prove that the words (in the article) were defamatory. She said the defendants had satisfied "qualified privilege" and that the newspaper had practised responsible journalism.
The defendant's lawyer, G. Navinthar asked for RM50,000 costs but Azri's lawyer Mohd Radzlan Jalaludin asked for cost to be fixed at RM1,000.
In his statement of claim, Azri claimed that an article titled "6 penjenayah buruan utama terbabit dengan pelbagai kegiatan jahat terutama samun bersenjata" (Six wanted criminals involved in various activities, especially armed robbery) was written by Wan Asrudi.
He said the words, content and his photograph published in the article was not true, defamatory and had "mala fide" (bad intention) against him.
Azri said the article in the natural and ordinary words meant that he was a criminal involved in armed robbery, wanted by the police and a dangerous individual.
He said that he was only asked to come forward to assist in the investigation and was not charged over any criminal act, especially for the armed robbery as stated in the article. He had sought for RM500,000 as general, exemplary and aggravated damages.