Kota Kinabalu: A civil defamation suit worth RM1.5 million filed against Tandiko Dalusin will proceed without compromise despite his recent public support for Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), Gerakan Kuasa Rakyat Malaysia (G57 Chairman, Datuk Zulkarnain Mahdar said.
He said the legal action was unrelated to political alignments and stemmed from what he described as repeated defamatory allegations made against him on social media platforms, including YouTube, Facebook and TikTok.
“The legal action has no connection to anyone’s current political stance. It arises from serious defamatory allegations that were repeatedly made against me, affecting my reputation, credibility and good name,” he said in a statement.
He said his lawyers, Messrs Boestamam Ahmad & Co, had issued two Letters of Demand (LOD) prior to filing the suit, the first in May and the second in August 2025.
According to Zulkarnain, both letters were returned to the law firm after attempts to deliver them by registered mail to Dalusin’s last known address in Seremban failed.
“This raises serious questions about his refusal to cooperate and failure to take responsibility over the defamatory allegations,” he said.
Zulkarnain added that his legal team is continuing efforts to locate Dalusin and expressed hope that any GRS leaders who invited him to join the coalition would assist in facilitating the delivery of the LOD to ensure due legal process.
He also cautioned that GRS should not be perceived as a “political supermarket” that grants special treatment to individuals who had previously attacked Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor and the coalition’s leadership.
“Failure to conduct proper vetting risks creating political liabilities, eroding public trust in GRS and diminishing the sacrifices of leaders and supporters who defended the coalition during earlier attacks,” he said.
Zulkarnain said his focus remained on upholding the truth and defending his dignity through legal channels without political compromise, urging all parties to respect the legal process and principles of justice.
