PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu said he intends to sue Utusan Malaysia for defamation for accusing him of slandering Bukit Kepong police officers.

“They accused me of slandering police officers under section 500 of the Penal Code, but the complainant of the case has admitted that the police report is false,” said Mohamad Sabu in a statement today.

mat sabu pc with salleh man 190811 The complainant, retired police officer Visva Nathan, had during his testimony in Mohamad Sabu’s ( left ) criminal defamation case admitted error in making the police report.

Mat Sabu said that he would not be pressing charges against Visva because the latter is already old, and that he was not the “evil and arrogant” one, but Utusan .

On Aug 27 last year Visva lodged the report against Mohamad Sabu, popularly known as Mat Sabu, allegedly based on an article in Utusan .

This resulted in Mat Sabu being charged with defaming policemen and their family members who defended themselves in an attack by communist guerrillas at the Bukit Kepong police station on Feb 23, 1950.

During the hearing earlier this month, Visva in an unexpected and farcical turn of events exonerated Mat Sabu and apologised to the PAS leader, pleading for him to be cleared of all charges.

Mountains out of Bukit Kepong molehill

On Aug 27, Umno-owned daily Utusan published several reports that Mat Sabu had praised the communists who attacked the Bukit Kepong police station in 1950, leaving 26 people dead.

NONE "But history has been covered up. Jins Samsuddin, who made the (Bukit Kepong) film, is an Umno (member). His story of Bukit Kepong (said that) those who attacked the police station were criminals..." Mat Sabu was quoted as saying.

The reports further alleged that the PAS deputy president had treated Mat Indera as a freedom fighter.

Mat Sabu has since claimed that Utusan had grossly distorted his words and has filed a defamation suit against Utusan Malaysia .

However, the PAS leader's suit was struck out .