Following court order, Anina Saadudin takes down allegedly defamatory Facebook posts on Ismail Sabri

KUALA LUMPUR (March 25): Former Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) women chief Anina Saadudin has updated the court today that she has taken down the offending Facebook posts related to Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob. 

This is following an injunction order granted by High Court Judge Datuk Seri Mohd Firuz Jaffril on March 11 for Anina to immediately delete all the allegedly defamatory remarks made about Ismail Sabri on her social media sites.

Anina said she did not intend to challenge the injunction order, and as such, the judge ruled that the order stays. 

However, Mohd Firuz noted that the injunction order is quite flexible as Anina is allowed to keep posting and criticising the senior minister as long as it is done in a civil manner. 

"The injunction order is upheld, [but] it is quite flexible. You can still continue to post [on social media] and write all sorts of things whether the minister does his work or not, whether he is not smart, or whatever, but I hope you would refrain from using certain [derogatory] words," the judge told Anina, who was unrepresented by a lawyer, in court today. 

Anina also updated the judge that she has filed her defence this morning in reply to the writ of summons and statement of claims served to her by Ismail Sabri. 

Following that, Mohd Firuz fixed June 21 for the next case management, and Oct 1 for the trial of the case to start. 

On March 5, Ismail Sabri filed a defamation suit against Anina for her Facebook posts, accusing him of being incompetent in discharging his duties during the implementation of the movement control order (MCO). 

Ismail Sabri, who cited in his statement of claim 13 alleged defamatory Facebook posts by Anina, claimed that the posts are untrue. The postings by Anina included a video that implied the minister had violated Malaysia’s MCO standard operating procedures.

The video shows Ismail Sabri attending an event and shaking hands with the guests. Ismail Sabri and several others could also be seen without face masks while sitting together at a banquet table, with no physical distancing practised.

However, it was reported that his supporters had verified that the event in the clip took place in September 2019, about five months before the imposition of the MCO.

Ismail Sabri, who demanded that Anina issue a written apology, is also seeking, among others, an unspecified amount of general, exemplary and aggravated damages deemed fit by the court. 

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