DAP chairperson Karpal Singh this morning filed a RM10 million defamation suit against Utusan Malaysia for allegedly misquoting him on a matter related to Islam.

karpal singh sue utusan for defamation 190908 01 Karpal, who filed the suit at the Jalan Duta High Court today said he was pursuing with the action despite the fact that the daily had apologised to him for misquoting him.

"An apology is only mitigating (the damages). In fact, they already admitted that it was defamation. There is no point killing and apologising later,” he told reporters.

The Bukit Gelugor MP said the defamation suit was filed to seek damages as it was “his right to file a legal proceeding towards it”.

An article dated Aug 25 in the Malay daily reported that the DAP leader was against Islam as the official religion in his opening speech at the 15th DAP Congress on Aug 24.

The damages, according to Karpal, were understood to mean that he was anti-national, therefore a threat to national security and disloyal to the country.

The Umno-owned daily however carried a front-page apology on Aug 26 to the DAP leader and retracted the report, admitting that it was a 'grave mistake.

“We are pursuing with the suit even though Utusan had complied with my demand (to retract and apologise) the next day as it (the suit) is made only towards the investigation of the damages,” said Karpal.

He further stressed that the paper has gone too far for making such allegations against him.

“I would not mind horseplay here and there but to go and say that I’m against Islam in the country is just too far,” said Karpal.

Still buying Utusan

The DAP stalwart further claimed that the Umno-owned daily has been “going overboard in attacking the oppositions without any basis”.

“This action has been critical in the public interest. Although we believe in freedom of the press, there must be some limitations,” he blasted.

karpal singh sue utusan for defamation 190908 03 “It is not about the money, we are not interested in that but we have to draw a line somewhere,”

Although Pakatan has launched its boycott- Utusan campaign, Karpal nevertheless had no choice but to keep buying the paper so the paper “will not attack us behind our back”.

“The boycott is still on but after this statement (article) was published, I started buying the paper again because I don’t want them to attack us behind our back,” he quipped.

Karpal had also lodged a police report against Utusan over the Aug 25 article, which is being investigated under Section 500 of the Penal Code for slander which carries a two-year jail term or fine or both, upon conviction.

“(But) the police have been dragging their feet. Nothing has been done about it so far. I hope the police will take action,” said Karpal.

He had earlier questioned the police and the attorney-general why they have not constituted charge on Utusan under the Printing Presses and Publication Act 1984 for publishing false news.