The High Court here today granted lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah's application to strike out certain paragraphs in Malaysia Today editor Raja Petra Kamarudin’s statement of defence in a defamation suit.

raja petra shafee abdullah sedition case 150808 01 The paragraphs pertained to Raja Petra’s defence of fair comment and justification in the suit filed by Muhammad Shafee ( left ).

Justice Zabariah Mohd Yusof granted the application made through Muhammad Shafee's his lawyers, S Ravindran and Conrad Young.

Zabariah then fixed Aug 28 for case management before a deputy registrar.

Raja Petra, a former Internal Security Act (ISA) detainee, was represented by counsel J Chandra.

Muhammad Shafee sued Raja Petra over alleged defamatory articles published against him last year.

azlan The High Court then allowed Muhammad Shafee's application for an injunction restraining Raja Petra, whether by himself, his agents or otherwise, from allowing any articles, journals, letters, comments, posts and statements that are defamatory of Muhammad Shafee, accessible over the Internet.

Raja Petra, in his statement of defence filed on Nov 25 last year, denied that the three articles which were published on Malaysia Today in August last year, were false, malicious or defamatory to Muhammad Shafee.

An arrest warrant has been issued against Raja Petra two months ago after he failed to turn up in court for his crimimal defamation and sedition cases.

- Bernama