High Court orders Papagomo to remove defamitory clip against Mohd Na’im

KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court on Monday (Oct 30) ordered blogger Papagomo, also known as Wan Muhammad Azri Wan Deris, to, within 24 hours, remove a video clip from his Facebook page which allegedly contained defamatory statements against the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs), Datuk Dr Mohd Na’im Mokhtar.

Lawyer Datuk Akberdin Abdul Kadir, who is representing Mohd Na’im as the plaintiff, said Judicial Commissioner Leong Wai Hong had granted the minister’s ex parte application in an online proceeding on Monday.

The injunction is to prevent Wan Muhammad Azri, as the defendant, from publishing, broadcasting, sharing, re-publishing, or re-sharing a video dated Sept 18, containing the defamatory statement, along with a six-minute 41-second video clip taken from the TikTok account ‘@nurhafizulbadrulhisham’ from the defendant’s Facebook page in any way.

“It is also to prevent the defendant or his agents from publishing, broadcasting, and sharing similar defamatory statements that have an impact similar to the statement, in addition to removing it within 24 hours,” the lawyer said.

The court also fixed Nov 7 to hear an application for inter-parte injunction filed by both parties.

Mohd Na’im, who filed the lawsuit on Oct 19, claimed that Wan Muhammad Azri published a post on his Facebook account under the name “Sir Azri” on Sept 18, 2023.

The plaintiff alleged that the defamatory statement implied, among other things, that the plaintiff, as a minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs), had not taken positive action for the welfare of Islam as the plaintiff had allegedly made sexual or lewd allegations in connection with being a faith opportunist who did not respect the stability of the Muslim community in Malaysia.

He stated that the defamatory statement had damaged his reputation, dignity and status in the eyes of the public.- BK