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KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin obtained an interim injunction to prevent Umno Supreme Council member Mohd Puad Zarkashi from making any statement about a defamatory post made through his Facebook last month.
Attorney Rosli Dahlan, who represented Muhyididin, said the court order was obtained tonight following an urgent request to High Court Judge Mohd Firus Jaffril.
“The judge granted a precautionary measure pending the resolution of the inter parte hearing,” he told FMT in a text message.
Earlier today, Muhyiddin filed a defamation lawsuit against Puad and also requested a certificate of urgency for the injunction.
According to the lawyers, the provisional injunction would continue to apply until Puad or his lawyers annulled the order.
On February 16, Muhyiddin sent a legal notice to Puad demanding a public apology and compensation of RM10 million for allegedly defaming him.
Among other things, he demanded that Puad unequivocally delete a February 9 post on his Facebook page under the name “Dr. Mohd Puad Zarkashi” that had statements about the quarantine.
The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) in a statement flatly denied claims made by Puad that a three-day quarantine order had been issued for ministers returning from official trips abroad solely because the prime minister did not want to be put in quarantine after returning from his official visit. to Indonesia.
In the statement, the PMO said that Muhyiddin had been issued the home surveillance order and given the observation bracelet for him to wear as soon as he arrived from Jakarta on February 5 and that he (Muhyiddin) was in quarantine at home.
“The slander launched by Puad Zarkashi is malicious and aims to tarnish the good name of the prime minister,” the statement said.
In the claim statement filed today, Muhyiddin said that the disputed post contained clearly false, unsubstantiated and malicious statements to defame him.
Every word in the post or statement with natural, ordinary or innunendo meaning meant that he (Muhyiddin) and his entourage refused to be quarantined for 10 days on their trip to Jakarta.
He said the statement implied that the health minister issued a new order through a federal bulletin that ministers returning from official trips abroad were subject to a three-day quarantine, thus overriding the direction of the director general of health.
He said Puad’s statement implied that Muhyiddin abused his power to override the CEO and ministers received preferential treatment.
The statement also implied that Muhyiddin had no respect for the rule of law, is selfish and is not fit to be prime minister.
He said Puad was unable to verify his claim and refused to withdraw his post despite being sent a demand letter.
He said the Facebook post severely damaged Muhyiddin’s integrity and eroded the public’s trust in him.
“It has caused the plaintiff to be led to public scandal, hatred, contempt and discredit,” he said.
Muhyiddin is seeking compensation, a permanent court order to prevent Puad from commenting on the matter, and an unconditional apology.
He also wants all the news portals that published Puad’s statement to remove the defamatory articles and also post apologies prominently.
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