KUALA LUMPUR, Mar 6 — Federal Territories Minister Khalid Abdul Samad lost today his application to strike out the defence statement filed by Muslim activist Wan Asshima Kamaruddin in the former’s defamation lawsuit.

High Court judge Datuk Nik Hasmat Nik Mohamad made the decision in chambers and ordered the minister to pay RM3,000 in costs, according to lawyer Muhammad Rafiqree Hamka who represented Khalid.

“The court was of the opinion that both sides should go to trial to ventilate on the defence,” he told reporters later.

He said the judge also fixed April 8 as the deadline for both sides to file their submissions for the trial.

Advertisement

Khalid sued the Gerakan Muslimah Islam Malaysia (GMIM) president in September 2018 for allegedly defaming him in a video published on YouTube last August.

When asked if they will contest today’s ruling, Muhammad Rafiqree said he is awaiting further instructions from Khalid.

In his application for dismissal filed last November, Khalid had argued that Wan Asshima’s defence statement was trivial and abusive of the court process.

Advertisement

The Shah Alam MP had proceeded with the lawsuit despite the activist apologising for previously accusing the minister of approving a “gay festival”. 

Wan Asshima claimed she did not mean to embarrass Khalid in the video containing the allegations that had been shared openly on YouTube but which had since been removed.

In the video published on August 18, 2018, Wan Asshima mockingly congratulated two ministers for allegedly allowing the festival to take place, which she claimed was to be held in conjunction with Merdeka celebrations on August 31.

She had claimed the festival would draw the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community to gather and celebrate their victory and freedom, and had alleged Khalid to be proud of the group.

Since the video was published, two police reports have been lodged against her under Section 505 of the Penal Code for criminal defamation and public mischief.

These were lodged by Zulhazmi Shariff, special functions officer to Khalid, and Hisham Fauzi, special functions officer to Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Mujahid Yusof.