KUALA LUMPUR, May 13 — The High Court has set four days from November 28 to hear the defamation suit of the former civil servants group (G25) spokesman Datuk Noor Farida Ariffin against a businessman over an article that allegedly insulted Islam.

Judge Datuk Yeoh Wee Siam set the date in chambers in the presence of counsel Yap Boon Hau, who represented the plaintiff Noor Farida, and counsel Azad Bashir who represented the defendant Azmi Arshad.

Azad told reporters that the court had also set September 30 for case management.

Noor Farida, 60, who was also the Malaysian Ambassador in Netherlands had filed the suit on March 7, claiming that Azmi had written and published an article entitled “Low Yat Is Only a Gentle Reminder” on the Internet in the Islam & Melayu portal, dated July 13, 2015.

In her statement of claim, the plaintiff said that the article implied that she insulted Islam and expressed support for DAP leaders and news portals such as MalaysiaKini, Free Malaysia Today and The Heat to allegedly ridicule Muslims.

The Plaintiff claimed that the article that was also published on Facebook under the defendant’s name, Azmi Arshad, on July 13, at 2.10am, was made open for reading and accessible to the users of the social web site, with 1,042 ‘likes’, 90 comments and shared with Facebook users as many as 370 times since the date it was published.

Noor Farida said in a letter dated August 20, 2015, to Azmi requesting that he retract the published articles from his Facebook account, however the defendant refused to do so.  

She also requested for an injunction order to prevent either the defendant or his agent from republishing slanderous words.

Noor Farida also demanded general damages, a court order seeking the publication of an apology to the plaintiff, interest, costs and other relief that was deemed fit by the court. — Bernama