KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 15 — The decision on the defamation lawsuit of Primary Industries Minister Teresa Kok against Selangor PAS information chief Syarhan Humaizi Halim has been postponed to next month.
Syarhan’s lawyer Wan Rohimi Wan Daud said presiding judge Fairuz Jafril set the date to February 26.
“We filed our submission to the court a fortnight ago, but the judge said more time is needed as he is not yet ready to make his stance clear,” he said to reporters outside the courtroom at the KL Court Complex along Jalan Tuanku Abdul Halim.
On his part Syarhan said he is optimistic about the outcome of the case against him, saying the lawyers on both sides have made solid arguments.
“I am confident the judge will be able to make his decision by next month and I am very satisfied with Mr Wan Rohimi’s arguments on my behalf,” he said.
Syarhan also thanked the 30 or so supporters who turned up at the court complex in a show of solidarity, adding their presence was a significant morale booster.
“God willing, we will prevail, and this tribulation will soon be past us,” he said.
Kok filed the defamation suit on February 4 last year, claiming that Syarhan’s social media postings depicted her as being anti-Islamic.
She had earlier demanded Syarhan, then the Selangor PAS Youth chief, publicly apologise for his post on Facebook on January 19, but was ignored.
Kok said the post portrayed her as racist, dishonest and unfit to be a Cabinet member.
