Anwar's letter of demand to Jabu

A legal firm acting for Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim has served a letter of demand for an unreserved apology and monetary compensation on Sarawak Deputy Chief Minister Alfred Jabu for alleged defamation.

The letter was delivered yesterday afternoon to Jabu’s office in Bangunan MASJA in Petra Jaya, Kuching, by a dispatch clerk from the legal firm, Baru Bian Advocates & Solicitors.

In the letter, Baru Bian said his client is a respected political leader, elected as a MP for Permatang Pauh, opposition leader in Parliament and advisor of Parti Keadilan Rakyat.

He added that Anwar is also a renowned leader of international standing, serving as consultant and advisor to international bodies, financial institutions and global charitable organisations.

Jabu was quoted in the Eastern Times as accusing Anwar of not respecting Iban customs and traditions, during a visit to the Rumah Entirong longhouse in Nanga Tutong, Lubok Antu on May 24.

He was further reported as saying that Anwar should not be allowed to hoodwink and mislead the people.

Article appeared on Dec 6

The article headlined ‘Jabu claims Anwar did not respect Iban customs’ appeared in the Dec 6, 2008 issue of the paper.

The report also quoted Jabu as saying “because Anwar had committed a serious crime in the past, he had to be cleansed first according to the Iban customs before being allowed to visit an Iban longhouse”.

“Because he (Anwar) was not cleansed according to the Iban adat , his visit to an Iban longhouse could cause a tragedy. And true enough someone died during his visit. So ignorance and non-compliance (with) the adat is not an excuse for this kind of people. So how can we deal with this kind of people?”

According to Baru Bian, the words or characters contained in the article clearly referred to his client and were highly defamatory. The defamatory words or characters mean and were understood to mean, among others:

(a) that his client does not respect the customs and traditions of the people, especially the Ibans;

(b) that his client hoodwink and mislead the people in the longhouse;

(c) that his client cannot be trusted

(d) that his client is a sinful man with a criminal past

(e) that his client had committed a serious crime in the past

(f) that his client’s visit to an Iban longhouse could cause a tragedy

(g) that his client’s visit to an Iban longhouse had caused a tragedy, and

(h) that his client had gone against the local Iban customs

Charges wholly unjustified

Baru Bian said these baseless allegations amount to a very serious libel against Anwar and has caused his client considerable distress and embarrassment. “They have lowered my client’s reputation in the estimation of the public and exposed him to hatred, contempt and ridicule.”

All the allegations made against Anwar are false and the charges against Anwar are wholly unjustified, he added.

Anwar has instructed his lawyer to demand that Jabu immediately cease and desist from publishing the defamatory words or similar words to that effect, to publish a full and unequivocal public retration and apology in terms to be approved by his client within 72 hours and to provide Anwar with a written undertaking that he (Jabu) shall refrain from publishing the defamatory words or similar words to that effect within 72 hours.

Baru Bian said his client is also demanding Jabu to nominate a substantial sum as compensation for the injury and damage to the established reputation and good name of his client within 72 hours and to indemnify his client of all costs incurred in the matter.

He said that in the event they do not receive any satisfactory response from him it shall be deemed that he (Jabu) does not dispute his client’s assertions and notwithstanding that he intends to continue the publication of the defamatory words.

"As such, we have our client’s instructions to commence legal action against you without further reference to you," Baru said in the letter to the DCM, adding that his client’s rights are reserved.