Kuala lumpur: The defamation suit filed by former Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs), Datuk Dr Mohd Na'im Mokhtar, against blogger Wan Muhammad Azri Wan Deris, widely known as Papagomo, is set to continue to trial following unsuccessful mediation efforts at the High Court.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Mohd Na'im's legal representative, Datuk Akberdin Abdul Kader, confirmed that mediation attempts failed due to disagreements on settlement terms by the defendant, Wan Muhammad Azri. Consequently, the trial is scheduled for September 21 and 24. However, the court has also set March 6 for case management, allowing both parties to update on any potential settlements.

The mediation session, lasting an hour, was attended by both Mohd Na'im and Wan Muhammad Azri, along with the latter's lawyer, Logen Eskandar Abdullah. The proceedings took place in the chambers of Judge Datuk Kenneth Yoong Ken Chinson St James, who served as the mediator.

Mohd Na'im initiated the lawsuit on October 19, 2023, in response to a Facebook post by Wan Muhammad Azri on September 18, 2023, under the account 'Sir Azri'. The post included a video clip, originally from a TikTok account '@nurhafizulbadrulhisham', lasting six minutes and 41 seconds.

The plaintiff alleged that the video contained defamatory statements insinuating his failure to act positively for Islam's well-being and accused him of being involved in sexual or obscene allegations. Additionally, it depicted him as a religious fanatic indifferent to the Malay Muslim community's stability in Malaysia. These statements, according to Mohd Na'im, have harmed his reputation, dignity, and public standing.