Karpal Singh will sue Utusan Malaysia for defamation over an article published in the Umno-owned daily last month that portrayed the veteran parliamentarian as anti-Islam.

dap islamic state roundtable 100807 karpal singh The suit will be filed in the Georgetown High Court in a week's time.

In its report under the headlines 'DAP diingat jangan bakar perasaan Melayu' (DAP reminded not to stir Malay sentiments) on page two of its Monday edition on Aug 25, Utusan stated that "DAP chairperson Karpal Singh rejects Islam as the official religion of the country."

In its report, which appeared on the eve of the Permatang Pauh by-election polling day on Aug 26, Utusan reported that Karpal made the statement in his keynote address when officiating the 15th DAP national congress over the weekend.

Front-page apology

The article also quoted Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak in blasting Karpal for questioning the official position of Islam and warned him not to stir the sentiments of Malays.

Karpal vehemently denied that he had uttered such remarks and said he had been subjected to public odium, contempt, ridicule, and consequently suffered serious loss and damages.

utusan malaysia apologize to karpal singh notice 260808 When he issued a notice on Aug 25 demanding an apology over the 'libelous, untrue, baseless and malicious' article, Utusan carried a front-page apology on Aug 26 to the DAP leader and retracted the report, admitting that it was a 'grave mistake.' ( left )

However, the Bukit Gelugor member of parliament is not amused by the inflammatory controversy invoked by the newspaper, and said that the apology can only mitigate the damages that would ultimately be ordered by the court against Utusan.

Karpal clearly stated the mitigating factor in another notice of demand dated Sept 12, 2008 to the daily's holding company Utusan Melayu (M) Berhad on the libelous article.

" Utusan has frequently played up communal-based reports and stirred racial and religious sentiments over the years.

"The newspaper has to be stopped on its track starting with my suit," the opposition leader from Pakatan Rakyat told newsmen in his Georgetown office today.

He hinted Utusan would soon be facing a barrage of libel actions from various quarters for its ultra-racist inflammatory articles over the years.

Apart from his case, Karpal cited Utusan's libelous and seditious reports on Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng alleged statement on the New Economic Policy and detained Selangor government executive councillor Teresa Kok's alleged complaint of Islamic prayer calls as fine examples of the daily's racist stance.

Police report lodged

Prior to her detention without trial last night under the draconian Internal Security Act, Kok has demanded an open apology from Utusan and plans to sue the newspaper.

Lim's NEP statement was allegedly blown out of proportion by the paper, which resulted in Penang Umno members led by state secretary Azhar Ibrahim staging a protest on March 14.

Karpal has already lodged a police report against Utusan over the Aug 25 article, which is being investigated under Section 500 of the Penal Code for slander which carries a two-year jail term or fine or both, upon conviction.

"I believe in press freedom, but it should be to tell the truth, not lies," said Karpal, questioning why the police and attorney-general have not constituted charge on Utusan under the Printing Presses and Publication Act 1984 for publishing false news.

He also called on the Home Ministry to issue a show-cause letter to Utusan for playing up racist statements, similar to the one issued to Sin Chew Daily.