Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Karpal Singh said today they will sue Barisan Nasional (BN)’s Permatang Pauh candidate Dr Mazlan Ismail and three media outlets next week for defamation over corruption claims.
Karpal also denied Mazlan’s allegations that he was paid over RM50 million by Anwar as legal fees and to bribe judges and prosecutors.
“They’re ridiculous, frivolous, without any basis and made recklessly,” Karpal told reporters at the PKR headquarters here today, after lodging a police report jointly with Anwar on the matter.
“We intend to collate the necessary evidence to file actions against TV3, Utusan and New Straits Times, and of course, Mazlan himself,” added the DAP chairman.
Media Prima, which publishes the English daily New Straits Times, is owned by Umno. The ruling party also owns the Utusan Group that publishes Utusan Malaysia, a Malay-language daily. TV3 is a news network operated by Media Prima.
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Media Prima, which publishes the English daily New Straits Times, is owned by Umno. The ruling party also owns the Utusan Group that publishes Utusan Malaysia, a Malay-language daily. TV3 is a news network operated by Media Prima.
Karpal said today that Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail and Chief Justice Tun Ariffin Zakaria could not remain silent amid Mazlan’s accusations.
“The AG cannot sit back; he has to spring into action in defence of the judiciary,” said the seasoned lawyer.
“The chief justice must respond in defence of the judiciary. The allegations are criminal defamation of the highest order,” he added.
New Straits Times reported Mazlan yesterday as saying that he had received more than 6,000 letters on judiciary-fixing allegations against Anwar and Karpal.
He was also quoted as saying that the letter included copies of Anwar’s bank account numbers.
Karpal said today that Mazlan should have gone to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) instead of to the press.
Anwar, who was also at the press conference, said: “Umno’s culture of defamation is too much.”
“This is yet another spurious allegation by Umno,” added the opposition leader.
