Former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim today filed a RM100-million defamation suit against local television station RTM for broadcasting two programmes that allegedly accused him of being an Islamic extremist.

The seven-page summons filed by Anwar's lawyer Sankara Nair in the Kuala Lumpur High Court today, named Information Minister Khalil Yaakob ( photo ), RTM's director-general Alimusa Sulaiman and the government of Malaysia as defendants.

Sankara had earlier issued a letter of demand to the three parties on Sept 25.

"Our client states that it is despicable that Khalil can stoop so low to abuse and misuse his ministerial powers to allow and condone RTM, a government-owned TV station, to air programmes which are defamatory, directly or by innuendo, against political opponents," Sankara said in a statement issued today.

According to him, the programmes were broadcast on Sept 4 and 5 at 8.30pm over RTM channel 1 entitled Jejak Merdeka .

He also accused Alimusa of using the government-owned TV station for political propaganda, and hence, acted unlawfully and wrongfully.

Misguided assault

According to Sankara, RTM 1 on Sept 4 said Anwar had called former Inspector-General of Police Abdul Rahim Noor "bapak anjing" (father of dogs) and "anjing" (dog) before he was beaten, and in a programme the next day referred to him as an 'Islamic extremist'.

Rahim was sentenced to two months' jail and fined RM2,000 last year when the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court found him guilty of assaulting Anwar during his detention under the Internal Security Act in 1998.

"The suit is for defamation where utterances were made labelling our client as immoral and also an Islamic extremist.

"It is noted with regret that the government has chosen to launch such misguided and misconceived assaults on Anwar. It was sodomy and corruption in 1998 and now, unfortunately, in line with the prevailing world events, the new found flavour appears to be Islamic extremism," Sankara added.

Anwar is currently serving a 15-year jail sentence at the Sungai Buloh prison for sodomy and corrupt practices. He maintains that the charges were part of a political conspiracy to destroy him.

Meanwhile, Information Ministry's legal advisor Hamidun Abdul Fatah denied Anwar's accusations, claiming they were baseless and untrue.

"It is because of that, we find no reason whatsoever for the government to apologise to Anwar," Hamidun said.

The government is expected to file its defence soon.