Kuala lumpur: Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil told the High Court here today that defamatory words made by independent preacher Ahmad Dusuki Abd Rani had falsely painted him in a bad light in the public eye and tarnished his reputation as a Member of Parliament and a Cabinet Minister. Fahmi, 45, said many other comments similarly accused him, based on a lie posted by Ahmad Dusuki, urging the authorities to take action.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Fahmi stated that the defamatory remarks undermined his credibility as a public figure and public servant, leading to condemnation and humiliation by the public, resulting in irreparable loss and damage to his reputation. The Lembah Pantai MP made this statement during the hearing of his defamation lawsuit against Ahmad Dusuki over his Facebook and Instagram posts in 2023, before Judge Datuk Raja Ahmad Mohzanuddin Shah Raja Mohzan.
Fahmi argued that the deliberate lie posted by Ahmad Dusuki on Facebook was maliciously intended to injure his reputation and lacked any truth. He explained that his reputation had been tarnished, directly damaging his political career, prompting him to reply to the allegations to uphold the truth.
He expressed his shock and distress over the false narrative that accused him of abusing a place of worship for political gain, contradicting Syariah laws and the Sultan of Selangor's command. Fahmi noted that the abusive comments on the defendant's Facebook post were fueled by the false statement.
Fahmi further clarified that the post was completely untrue since he did not deliver any political speech or religious talk requiring a teaching permit at the mosque. He stated that his presence at the mosque was solely to perform prayers, and he was invited to give a brief explanation about a concert involving the band The 1975, which can be verified by witnesses present at the mosque.
He also highlighted his full cooperation with investigations conducted by the Selangor Islamic Religious Council (MAIS) and the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM), both of which decided to take no further action as he did not breach any Syariah laws. Fahmi emphasized that despite clear rebuttals from PDRM and MAIS, Ahmad Dusuki had not retracted the defamatory post or apologized for the false claims.
Yesterday, Fahmi's defamation suit against other parties over the same issue was settled in the High Court. According to his statement of claim filed on September 5, 2023, Fahmi alleges that Ahmad Dusuki published defamatory statements accusing him of misusing a mosque for election campaigning and acting contrary to the Sultan of Selangor's decrees.
Fahmi seeks damages and an injunction to prevent further republication of the defamatory statements, maintaining that the accusations are baseless and unsupported by the Selangor Islamic Religious Council's confirmation. The trial continues tomorrow.