Najib claims Facebook post on cronyism not related to Dzulkefly Ahmad

KUALA LUMPUR, March 31 — Former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak alleged the post on cronyism in his Facebook account is not referring to former Health Minister Datuk Seri Dzulkefly Ahmad.

Najib, 68, as the defendant said in a defence statement filed by Tetuan Shafee & Co at the High Court here on March 29.

Najib claimed that the post referred to the coalition of Pakatan Harapan (PH) parties, as such there was no defamation made against the plaintiff (Dzulkefly).

“My statement stressed the hypocritical behaviour of the PH coalition parties which claimed nepotism and cronyism on political appointments against my political coalition (then Perikatan Nasional) on appointments in government-linked companies despite the fact that when PH was in government, the same appointments were made without any objection PH.

“The plaintiff’s interpretation of the allegation referring to him was wrong and was taken out of context.

Furthermore, there were no direct or indirect allegations made by me that any appointment made was wrong,” claimed Najib.

Dzulkefly who filed the suit in his personal capacity alleged Najib had uploaded a slanderous posting on his Facebook on August 24, 2020, at 12.54pm on cronyism as well as an attachment of Sinar Harian article dated January 28, 2019 with a picture of the plaintiff’s face

He claimed the statement among others meant the plaintiff practises cronyism by offering posts and appointments to relatives without any objective evaluation and their capability for posts in government and private companies.

The plaintiff alleged Najib had produced a slanderous posting with the intention to attack him personally, tarnished his reputation as well as to shame him and it was politically motivated with the intention to mar his image.

As such, the plaintiff applied for an injunction order to restrain the defendant or his agents from continuing to publish or disseminate the post in any way, and an order for the defendant to make a written apology published on his Facebook account and in a local newspaper of his choice within seven days from the date of the order apart from seeking general, aggravated, exemplary damages and any other relief deemed fit by the court. — Bernama