June 8 for hearing of Najib’s injunction application before new judge

KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s injunction application against Petaling Jaya Utara member of parliament Tony Pua Kiam Wee over a video clip on Facebook will be heard before a new High Court judge.

Justice Datuk Mohd Zaki Abdul Wahab will replace judicial commissioner Datuk Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh in presiding over the inter-parte case.

Lawyer Nor Hazira Abu Haiyan who is representing the prime minister in the case disclosed this to reporters after the case management in chambers yesterday before deputy registrar Erry Shahriman Nor Aripin. Pua was represented by counsel Joanne Chua. On May 24, Wan Ahmad Farid recused himself from hearing the case on grounds that he had previously been active in politics and had served in the administration and Dewan Negara.

Meanwhile, Chua said the injunction application had been fi xed for hearing on June 8.

On April 21, Justice Abu Bakar Jais granted leave to Najib for an ex-parte injunction to prevent Pua from publishing the same or similar words as contained in the defendant’s statement. Najib applied for the ex-parte injunction based on personal concern that Pua’s defamatory statement could injure his position as prime minister, fi nance minister and leader of a political party.

On April 21, Najib in his personal capacity sued Pua for his statement in a live video pertaining to the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965 amendment bill or RUU355. In his statement of claim, he alleged that Pua made the statement in the lobby of the parliament building on April 6, which was recorded and uploaded by the defendant and/or his agents in his official Facebook profi le, “Tony Pua’’.

The plaintiff claimed that the two minutes and 21 seconds video clip titled, “BN Govt abandons all Bills to give precedence to PAS RUU355 Private Member’s Bill”, could be accessed and watched widely and freely via the Internet.

Najib claimed the live video statement contained words that referred specifically to him and implied that he had misused his power and given an order through the Cabinet to the Dewan Rakyat speaker to give way to the Marang Member of Parliament to table the Private Member’s Bill motion and set aside other bills. — Bernama