April 15 decision on application by Najib, Rosmah

KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court today set April 15 to decide on an application by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak and his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor to remove several paragraphs in the defence statement of PKR vice-president Mohd Rafizi Ramli and another person in the couple's suit over the oil subsidy issue.
Judge Datuk Noraini Abdul Rahman set the date in chambers after hearing submissions by lawyer Datuk Mohd Hafarizam Harun, representing Najib and Rosmah. Also present during the proceeding was lawyer Ranjit Singh, who acted on behalf of Mohd Rafizi and Media Rakyat portal owner Chan Chee Kong.
Najib and Rosmah had applied to remove the defence of fair comment by the two defendants on grounds that the words uttered were a statement of facts and not of a fair comment.
On April 16, last year, the couple filed the suit claiming that Mohd Rafizi had made a disparaging statement against them at a forum on oil subsidy in Bandar Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur, on Nov 22, 2014.
They alleged that Mohd Rafizi's speech was recorded by Media Rakyat and uploaded by Chan or his assistant on YouTube and the portal.
Najib and Rosmah further alleged that Chan had also shared the recording on Media Rakyat's Facebook account which could be freely accessed by Internet users worldwide.
They said Chan failed to practise responsible journalism by not verifying or investigating the authenticity of the accusations in the statement before posting them.
Najib and Rosmah are seeking, among others, general, aggravated and exemplary damages deemed fit by the court, interest and costs.
They are also seeking an injunction to prevent Mohd Rafizi, Chan and their assistants from further publishing the alleged defamatory words and an order for them to make a written apology in newspapers and magazines. — Bernama