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High Court recommends mediation in Noor Farida Ariffin’s suit

The High Court has recommended that the defamation suit filed by the group of 25 retired Malay top senior civil servants (G25) spokesperson Noor Farida Ariffin against a businessman over an article which implied she had insulted Islam, to be solved through a mediation process.

Judge Yeoh Wee Siam made the recommendation in chambers in the presence of Noor Farida's counsel Yap Boon Hau and counsel Azad Bashir representing the defendant, today.

Speaking to reporters later, Yap said the court had also set May 13 for case management.

Noor Farida, 60, who is the former Malaysian ambassador to the Netherlands, filed the defamation suit on March 7, claiming that Azmi had authored and published an article titled 'Low Yat Is Only a Gentle Reminder' on the Portal Islam & Melayu website on July 13, 2015.

In her statement of claim, Noor Farida claimed that certain words in the article implied that she had insulted Islam and had supported DAP leaders and news portals, including Malaysiakini, Free Malaysia Today and The Heat, to insult the Muslims, among others.

The plaintiff also claimed that the article was published on the defendant's Facebook page at 2.10am on the same date (July 13) which could be accessed and read by Facebook users and had received 1,042 likes, 90 comments and had been shared 370 times.

She claimed that a letter dated Aug 20, 2015, was sent to Azmi asking him to withdraw the article from his Facebook page, to which Azmi had refused to comply.

Noor Farida is seeking an injunction to prevent the defendant or his agents and staff from further publishing the alleged defamatory words, as well as an apology from the defendant, general general damages, interest, cost and other relief deemed fit by the court.

- Bernama

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