KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 27 — Former DAP leader Tunku Abdul Aziz Tunku Ibrahim told the High Court here today that his claim of a secret pact between Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Lim Kit Siang was based on public questions and concern posted on blogs.
Tunku Abdul Aziz said his published remarks — now the subject of a defamation lawsuit by the former prime minister’s son, Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir — was made based on public interest, as he felt the need to share “information with basis”.
He insisted that his comments of the alleged secret pact were reasonable, citing articles that purportedly showed public concern on whether Lim, who is DAP parliamentary leader, would become deputy prime minister if Pakatan Harapan (PH) won the upcoming 14th general election.
Tunku Abdul Aziz said he was like any ordinary person who felt doubtful when the federal Opposition pact — at the time of his allegedly defamatory statement — had then yet to appoint its chairman and deputy chairman that would likely be poised to fill the prime minister and deputy prime minister post.
“Therefore, as a veteran politician and a political activist, it is reasonable for me to display these questions publicly. Furthermore, I only gave my views and opinions based on the public’s questions that queried who will be Malaysia’s Prime Minister if the opposition wins in the upcoming GE14,” he said in his witness statement tendered in court when explaining what he meant by “information with basis”.
“The public’s questions as I mentioned is based on the media statements or views from blog writers that bring up and conclude on who will potentially be the 7th prime minister and the worry and anxiety of the public when seeing the close relationship between Lim Kit Siang and Tun Mahathir who are big political figures,” he added.
He also said the “trustworthy source” he had relied on in his statement on the alleged secret arrangement between Dr Mahathir and Lim was news reports that allegedly showed public anxiety in the duo banding up together to topple the prime minister.
Tunku Abdul Aziz was testifying in his defence in the defamation lawsuit by Mukhriz.
Mukhriz had last Feb 7 sued over Tunku Abdul Aziz’s allegation of a secret pact between Dr Mahathir and Lim to make Mukhriz prime minister and the DAP leader the deputy prime minister. This claim has been denied by both Mukhriz and Dr Mahathir.
Tunku Abdul Aziz’s alleged defamatory remarks were through a December 30, 2016 statement that alleged such a secret plot, as well as a January 3, 2017 statement that demanded a sworn statement from Mukhriz and Lim to deny such a plot.
Besides raising the defence of fair comment and qualified privilege, Tunku Abdul Aziz today acknowledged that his first statement had mentioned Mukhriz’s name, but insisted that it was not relevant or referring to Mukhriz when read as a whole.
“These media statements are not directed to the plaintiff (Mukhriz). I further state that the subject matter of the media statements by the defendant (me) is related to the plaintiff’s father that is Tun Mahathir Mohamad and also Lim Kit Siang,” he said in the same witness statement, further arguing that the mention of Mukhriz’s name was “incidental”.
The hearing before High Court judge Datuk Nordin Hassan will resume this Thursday afternoon, with Tunku Abdul Aziz to be cross-examined.
