> Selangor MB sues MACC

Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim filed a defamation suit today against the Malaysian Anti- Corruption Commission (MACC), its chief commissioner Ahmad Said Hamdan and the government.

Khalid filed the suit at the Kuala Lumpur High Court registry at 2.45pm.

The Bandar Tun Razak MP claimed that Ahmad Said and the MACC had issued defamatory statements which resulted in the New Straits Times report titled 'Khalid in hot water over car and cows'.

The menteri besar claimed that the statements meant that he was dishonest in his private and official capacity, guilty of corrupt practices, untrustworthy and an unfit politician.

It also meant that he is unfit to hold public office, unprincipled, committed a criminal offence which is punishable by imprisonment, unethical and abused his position.

Khalid also claimed that the defendants had 'crossed the lines of common decency' by making such an allegation.

He contended that the claims by Ahmad Said were baseless, reckless and made with gross negligence to tarnish his reputation.

He claimed that the MACC chief had acted beyond his powers to make such derogatory statements.

Khalid alleged that the statements were a distortion of the truth, made out of malice and in bad faith, and resulted in public hatred, ridicule, scorn and alienation. It has also affected his public image.

Reputation has been tarnished

He also claimed that as a person holding the public office as menteri besar, his reputation had been tarnished. 

Following this, Khalid said he suffered distress, anxiety and embarrassment therefore entitling him for exemplary and aggravated damages.

The Selangor menteri besar also claimed that Ahmad Said and MACC should have known that the commission only possessed investigatory powers and the attorney-general has the powers to prosecute.            

Khalid also claimed that the statement made by deputy chief commissioner Abu Kasim Mohamed to justify his superior was wrong and misconceived.

He also claimed that the defendants had failed to respond to his lawyers’ demands for an explanation and a demand for a retraction made on two occasions on Feb 26 and March 19.

He is seeking compensatory and aggravated damages, along with exemplary, general and special damages. 

Khalid is also seeking an injunction to restrain the defendants from repeating, uttering, speaking and writing the alleged defamatory words - Malaysiakini.