The High Court today gave Mkini Dotcom Sdn Bhd, the administrator of Malaysiakini, until Friday to respond to a defamation suit filed by businesswoman Ummi Hafilda Ali.

Justice VT Singham said Mkini Dotcom has 14 days from June 3, when it was served the appearance notice, to file its statement of defence.

NONE He also set July 1 for case management of the RM100 million suit filed by Ummi Hafilda against here former business partner, Nor Azman Abdullah @ Baginda Minda, and the Malaysiakini administrator.

Earlier, lawyer Zulhelmi Wagiman, who represented Ummi Hafilda, told the court that they had sent the writ of summons to Nor Azman through an express registered mail to an address in Sarawak, but it was returned, and then to another address in Petaling Jaya last June 9.

To this Singham said that if both efforts failed, Zulhelmi should apply to the court to serve the summons using substituted service, by way of advertisement or by pasting the summons on notice boards at the court.

The lawyers for both the defendants were not present at today's proceeding.

Original suit thrown out

Ummi Hafilda had refiled the suit last April 26. The court had struck out the suit on April 13 after counsel for both parties failed to appear when the case came up for its first mention.

In her statement of claim, Ummi Hafilda alleged that Nor Azman had uttered slanderous statements against her at a press conference at the Parliament lobby on March 15.

She claimed that the statements by Nor Azman, which was carried by the news portal the same day, portrayed her as an immoral, scandalous and cheap woman, a liar and an untrustworthy person.

The businesswoman also said the malicious article painted her as a witness who would lie while testifying in court, who was desperate for opportunities and was involved in Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan's sodomy allegations against Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim.

She is seeking an injunction to stop the defendants or their agents from repeating the slanderous statements, and RM100 million in general damages.

- Bernama