Former deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Department M Kayveas today said that he had no malicious intentions against credit-reporting agency Credit Tip Off Sdn Bhd (CTOS).

He said he did not have any malicious intentions against CTOS over his statements on the company to the media.

Kayveas said at that time, he was not alone making the statements against CTOS as some of the ministers and deputy ministers had also made statements on the company.

Re-examined by senior federal counsel Mohamad Al-Saifi Hashim, who is representing him in a suit filed against him by CTOS, Kayveas said he received complaints from the public on CTOS by letters, facsimilie and e-mails.  

“My officers forwarded the complaints to me,” said Kayveas, who is the third defence witness, when testifying in the defamation suit filed by CTOS against him at the High Court in Kuala Lumpur.  

In September 2007, CTOS together with CTOS Data Systems Sdn Bhd, CTOS-EMR Sendirian Berhad and CTOS Business Systems Sdn Bhd had filed the suit against Kayveas for alleged defamatory statements made by him about the companies which were reported in local newspapers between June 25, 2007 and July 15, 2007.

CTOS is seeking general, aggravated and exemplary damages, costs and other relief deemed fit by the court. The defendant, in his statement of defence, had said that the statements were fair comment done in his capacity as Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department then and that he was doing it in the public interest.

Meanwhile, the defence’s fifth witness, Zarina Jaafar, testified that in 2007 she was the chief executive officer of Associate & General (M) Sdn Bhd and that the company was hired to do a study on CTOS and also operate the ‘Suara Rakyat’ website on complaints from the public about CTOS.

She said in regard to the study, she made searches on CTOS with the Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM) in 2007 and found that it (CTOS) had not made any declarations at the finance division since 1997 despite the company having to make payments each year under Section 169 of the Companies Act.

‘Told to approach Companies Commission’

Zarina, who now is the marketing communictaions manager for Hotel Seri Pacific Kuala Lumpur, said she then contacted the Inland Revenue Board (IRB) to get confirmation on this but was told by the IRB to approach SSM for it (confirmation).

On contacting SSM, she was told no payments had been made by CTOS.

The hearing before Judge Rosilah Yop Isnin continues on Thursday.

Today’s hearing also saw a group of men and women gathered at the court’s car park carrying placards reading ‘Haramkan Ctos’ (Ban Ctos).

- Bernama