The High Court in Kuala Lumpur today set Nov 23 to hear an application by the editor-in-chief of the Utusan Group and Utusan Melayu (Malaysia) Berhad to strike out a suit filed by PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu over the publication of an article on the Bukit Kepong communist issue.

It will be heard before Justice John Louis O’Hara, who fixed the date in chambers when the case came up for case management today.

NONE Lawyer Azhana Mohd Khairudin represented Mohamad ( left ), while Utusan Group editor-in-chief Datuk Abdul Aziz Ishak and Utusan Melayu were represented by Mohd Hafarizam Harun.

In the application filed on Oct 27, Abdul Aziz and Utusan Melayu want the suit to be struck out on grounds that it was disgraceful, frivolous, vexatious and an abuse of the court process.

On Sept 14, Mohamad, 57, filed the suit, claiming that the two defendants had maliciously published an article on Aug 27, and two more articles the following day, which contained defamatory elements.

He claimed that the three articles were related to the issue on the communist attack on the Bukit Kepong police station in Johor.

Mohamad claimed that the publication of the articles had indirectly showed that he was a communist supporter, had deviated from the Islamic teachings and faith for supporting the communists, and had branded Muhammad Indera as a communist terrorist.

Following the publication of the articles, Mohamad said he felt ashamed and ridiculed, and his integrity, credibility and reputation were also adversely affected.

He also claimed that he was distressed following an SMS he received which contained criminal threats on himself and family as well as the threat that he be detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA).

He also claimed to have received threats to have his citizenship revoked as well as to be charged for allegedly committing sedition and disparaging the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

Mohamad claimed that the defendants had published all the said articles to sensationalise the news, boost the sales of the newspaper for financial gain and to gain political mileage for Umno.

He is seeking general, exemplary and aggravated damages as well as a court order for the defendants to apologise and withdraw the alleged defamatory articles.

- Bernama