PKR central committee member R Sivarasa and two settlers from Ijok today filed a defamation suit against incumbent Kuala Selangor MP Irmohizam Ibrahim.

Sivarasa, the incumbent Subang MP, Bukit Cerakah Revolusi Hijau action committee chairperson Umar Ali Bashah and deputy chairperson Abd Hamid Johari, named the Umno supreme council member as the sole defendant.

The suit was filed at the High Court in Shah Alam by the law firm Daim & Gamany.

They claimed that Irmohizam had on April 16 this year issued a false and malicious press statement regarding the Ijok land matter.

The three plaintiffs further claimed that the defamatory words were published in several media in Bahasa Malaysia and English, including news portal Malaysiakini.

They added that the alleged defamatory statement made by Irmohizam was made without basis and mala fide, and this affected their reputation and standing.

The statement implied that they are involved in a syndicate to dupe the settlers, the plaintiffs claimed.

Sivarasa also claimed that Irmohizam's statement meant he was not trustworthy and cannot perform his profession as a lawyer and an MP.

The incumbent Sungai Buloh MP, also claimed that the statements in the original and natural meaning meant that he is not qualified to be an MP.

The two committee members also claimed that the original and natural meaning of the words meant that they had betrayed the settlers for their own interests, are dishonest, and had cheated the settlers.

They complained the words also meant that they are members of a syndicate out to cheat the settlers and generate their own personal profit and that they conspired with the developer to cheat other settlers.

All three said they had sent letters of demand to Irmohizam last month, asking him to withdraw and not repeat the statement, but there was no reply.

All three are claiming aggravated damages in addition to general damages.

They are further claiming an injunction preventing the defendant or his agents from repeating or publishing the same defamatory statements.

Also present at the filing were lawyers N Surendran and Latheefa Koya.