Bersih 2.0 chairperson Maria Chin Abdullah told the High Court in Kuala Lumpur today that the allegation of Sungai Besar Umno division chief Jamal Yunos that Bersih 5 had been infiltrated by Islamic State had painted her in a bad light, as if she was a terrorist and involved in serious crimes.

Testifying in her defamation suit against Jamal, Maria said Bersih 5 was a gathering organised by Bersih 2.0, of which she is chairperson.

“I am the public face of Bersih 5.

“However, Jamal claims on Sept 28 and Oct 4, 2016, that Bersih would not only gather in KL but also in strategic places like KLIA or the Prime Minister's Office, and was infiltrated by IS, had put me in a bad light.

“The statement gave a bad impression of me, as if I had ties with IS or Daesh, and portrayed that I have ties with terrorists, heavy crimes and do not respect the law. It gave a bad impression of me to society,” she said.

Maria said the statement by Jamal (photo) was reported by Sunday Mail, The Star Online, theSun Daily, Malaysiakini, KiniTV, The Malay Mail Online and Free Malaysia Today.

She was replying to questions from her lawyer N Surendran on Jamal's statements, which led to her being detained by the police under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 several days before the Bersih 5 rally.

Maria had filed the suit over Jamal's claim that Bersih was infiltrated by IS.

Jamal made the allegations against Bersih at a press conference on Sept 28, and again on Oct 4, 2016, when he also lodged a police report on the matter.

Besides Surendran, the other lawyers representing Maria were Latheefa Koya and Shahid Adli Kamarudin.

'Provocation and intimidation'

Maria also said that Jamal, who leads the red shirts group, acted as an enemy of Bersih, as he and his followers were involved in the provocation and intimidation of Bersih supporters.

“The defendant always issued vulgar statements against me and Bersih. On Sept 12 (2016), he claimed Bersih 5 was the opposition's lap dog, and described me as a circus animal of the opposition.

“On Oct 20, he declared an all-out war against the Bersih gathering and ordered the red shirts to gather and fight Bersih,” she said.

During cross-examination by Jamal's lawyers Mohd Nasser Yusof and V Mugunthan, Maria told the court that she filed the suit neither out of revenge nor envy.

"I filed the suit as it was defamatory on me and Bersih and me as the allegations were untrue," she said.

Terrorist 'links'

Maria also admitted her late husband Yunus Lebai Ali was an Internal Security Act detainee, but denied he was a terrorist.

Nasser asserted that many regard the Palestine Liberation Organisation - with whom Yunus was associated, once serving as a bodyguard for Yasser Arafat - as a terrorist group.

"This is just based on Wikipedia and it is not true," she said.

The hearing before Justice Mohd Zaki Abdul Wahab continues tomorrow with re-examination by Surendran, followed by the calling of another witness, activist Hishamudin Rais.

Earlier today, Dr Mahathir Mohamad's lawyer, Mohd Haniff Khatri Abdulla, told reporters that Zaki had fixed this Wednesday to hear Mahathir's application to set aside the subpoena served on him by Jamal.

It was previously reported that Mahathir had sought to set aside Jamal's subpoena on the grounds that he does not want to be part of the Sungai Besar Umno division's political gimmick.