Kuala Lumpur: Perak PAS commissioner Razman Zakaria has signalled his readiness to face Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh in court over a potential defamation lawsuit.
His lawyer, Khairul Azam Abdul Aziz, confirmed that Razman has responded to Yeoh’s letter of demand regarding allegations that she used her ministerial position to propagate Christianity to Muslims, according to a report in Malaysiakini today.
“See you in the Ipoh High Court,” Khairul conveyed Razman’s response when contacted by Malaysiakini today. Yeoh’s lawyer, Sangeet Kaur Deo, also confirmed receiving the response.
Among the possible next steps for the Segambut MP is to proceed with a defamation suit against the Semanggol assemblyperson.The dispute stems from Razman’s remarks during a 30-minute speech last month, in which a one-minute clip containing the claim went viral.
He later apologised for an error in his speech, which linked Yeoh to YTL Corporation Berhad’s founder, Yeoh Tiong Lay. Yeoh took to social media and warned legal action against Razman.
On January 28, she issued a letter of demand seeking RM1 million in compensation and a public apology over the Christianity propagation allegation.
In his February 7 response, Razman denied defaming Yeoh and asserted that his statement was based on facts drawn from her memoir, Becoming Hannah.
His defence is grounded in justification (claiming he can prove his statement in court) and fair comment. Yeoh is already involved in a separate defamation suit against Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia lecturer Kamarul Zaman Yusoff over a similar allegation related to her 2014 book.
She is also appealing the dismissal of another defamation case against former inspector-general of police Tan Sri Musa Hassan over a similar claim.
