KUALA LUMPUR: A High Court judicial commissioner will hear an application to recuse himself from hearing a suit by Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Razak and the party against Malaysiakini’s owner and its two editors.
Najib and Umno’s counsel, Wan Azmir Wan Majid, said deputy registrar Norfauzani Mohd Nordin yesterday fixed Sept 3 for judicial commissioner Datuk Wira Kamaluddin Md Said to hear the application.
Norfauzani set the date during case management at the High Court yesterday.
Defendants Mkini Dotcom Sdn Bhd and its editor-in-chief and chief editor, Steven Gan and Fathi Aris Omar respectively, filed the application on June 24, alleging danger of bias on Kamaluddin’s part. Wan Azmir, who was accompanied by co-counsel Raihanah Ariffin, said filing of documents was suspended until the application’s disposal.
Counsel Ashok Kandiah appeared for defendants Mkini Dotcom, Gan and Fathi Aris. Neither Najib, the party’s executive secretary Datuk Ab Rauf Yusoh, Gan nor Fathi Aris were present in court.
Najib and the party, represented by Rauf, filed the suit on May 30, claiming that the publication of Malaysiakini readers’ comments on May 14 had ruined their reputation. They are seeking, among others, unspecified amount of general, special, aggravated and exemplary damages.
