KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court here fixed May 14 for its decision on former opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim’s RM100 million suit against Sistem Televisyen Malaysia Bhd (TV3) over a 2013 news report alleging his involvement in the Lahad Datu intrusion.
High Court judge Ahmad Zaidi Ibrahim fixed the date after hearing lengthy submissions from Anwar’s lawyer Ambiga Sreenevasan and TV3’s lawyer Liew Teck Huat.
Ambiga argued that TV3 republished a false report from Utusan Malaysia in March 2013, implicating Anwar as the “mastermind” behind the Lahad Datu intrusion, which took place on Feb 11 of the same year.
“They deliberately highlighted words linking Anwar, as the then opposition leader, to the Lahad Datu intrusion and this report was published just two months before the 2013 general election.
“If there is fake news, then this is it,” she said, drawing laughter from Anwar’s supporters in the public gallery. Anwar was also present in court.
Ambiga also told the court Utusan retracted its Lahad Datu article on Anwar two years ago.
“Utusan admitted the report was baseless and had caused injustice against Anwar.
“Since TV3 had based its news report on the 2013 Utusan article, therefore the whole basis is no longer in existence. Yet, they still stand by a baseless news report and insist the retraction has no impact on them.”
Anwar initially filed the RM100 million lawsuit against Utusan Malaysia and TV3 in March 2013, but he settled the case against Utusan and its editor, Abdul Aziz Ishak, in October 2016, with the Malay daily paying RM50,000 as part of the settlement agreement.
His case against TV3 and its two editors proceeded as both sides could not reach a settlement.
Ambiga also said that TV3 failed to exercise responsible journalism in verifying Utusan’s news report with Anwar, despite having one day to do so.
“The editor (Kamaruddin Mape), who wrote the script, said he did not verify the article’s validity despite his position as a senior newsman,” she said.
She added Utusan published the Lahad Datu article in its March 2, 2013 edition and TV3 republished the article for its Bulletin Utama news programme on the same night.
However, Liew argued that TV3’s news report should be read in full and objectively to see whether it was defamatory.
He added TV3 were merely republishing a news report from the Philippines and the station did not affirm or endorse Anwar as the “mastermind” behind the Lahad Datu intrusion.
“The editors considered it to be reliable, based on their editorial judgement at that time,” Liew said.
Lahad Datu intrusion: July 10 hearing for Anwar’s case against TV3