June 19 hearing of Najib's application to strike out Mkini Dotcom's defence

KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court will hear on June 19 an application by former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and Umno executive secretary Datuk Ab Rauf Yusoh to strike out Mkini Dotcom Sdn Bhd's defence.
Judicial Commissioner Datuk Faizah Jamaludin set the date in chambers in the presence of counsel Nor Hazira Abu Haiyan for Najib and Ab Rauf as well as counsel A. Surendra for Mkini Dotcom, Malaysiakini editor-in-chief Steven Gan and former chief editor Fathi Aris Omar.
Najib and Ab Rauf filed the application on Jan 28, 2015 on grounds that the defence was frivolous, vexatious and abuse of court process.
Najib, who brought the suit in his personal capacity, and Ab Rauf had filed the libel suit against the three defendants over the readers' posts published on the media company's website.
They claimed that the articles had tarnished their reputation and raised the perception that Umno was incompetent as a political organisation and the backbone of the Barisan Nasional. — Bernama