VT Singham J:

[1]The plaintiff's claim against the defendants is for libel, under the law of tort being defamation, based on two articles which was published by the defendants or caused to be published on the front page and at p 10 of the Utusan Malaysia newspaper dated 17 January 2012.

The first article which was published on the front page of the Utusan Malaysia newspaper dated 17 January 2012 is as follows:

'TOLAK ANWAR-HASSAN'

Bekas Pesuruhjaya PAS Selangor, Datuk Dr. Hassan Ali membidas Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim kerana mempertikaikan undang-undang berkaitan homoseksual di negara ini.

Menurut beliau, pendirian Anwar tersebut bukanlah baharu kerana itulah pandangan peribadi dan pegangan asasi Penasihat Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) tersebut.

Oleh itu beliau menggesa rakyat menolak perjuangan Anwar kerana kegiatan tidak bermoral itu jika dihalalkan boleh mencetuskan pergolakan dan perpecahan dalam masyarakat serta kekacauan dalam negara.

The second article which was published at p 10 of the Utusan Malaysia newspaper dated 17 January 2012 is as follows:

'PARASIT ANCAM PAS, ANWAR MESTI DITOLAK'

HASAN: Inilah salah satu sebab saya tidak boleh bersekongkol dengan Anwar Ibrahim. Inilah sebabnya rakyat Malaysia mesti menolak perjuangan Anwar Ibrahim. Kalau kegiatan gay, lesbian homoseksual dan transgender, itu hendak dihalalkan di Malaysia, saya rasa masyarakat akan bergolak dan berpecah. Saya nampak kekacauan akan berlaku. Ini pandangan saya.

[2]The two alleged defamatory articles published by the defendants were supposedly based on the statement given by the plaintiff during an interview conducted by the British Broadcasting Corporation ('BBC') on 12 January 2012. The plaintiff's statement is as follows:

We will have to review some of these archaic laws. We Muslims and non-Muslims in Malaysia generally believe and committed to support the sanctity of marriage between man and woman. But we should not be seen to be punitive and consider the archaic laws as relevant. We need to review them. We do not promote either homosexuality in a public sphere or domain. I don't think we even need to make apologies towards that but I think to use this sort of legislation to be punitive, punish innocent people cannot be condoned or tolerated.

[3]Consequently, the plaintiff has pleaded that the defamatory articles and words that have been published in the Utusan Malaysia newspaper dated 17January 2012 had damaged his reputation as the opposition and political leader. Accordingly, the plaintiff has filed this suit against the defendants for damages and injunction.

[4]By the statement of claim dated 20 January 2012 (encl 2), the plaintiff has pleaded, inter alia, and briefly, as follows:

(1)The plaintiff is the opposition leader in the Parliament of Malaysia and a Member of Parliament for Permatang Pauh constituency.

(2)The first defendant is the proprietor, publisher and the printer of the Utusan Malaysia newspaper.

(3)The second defendant is the Chief Editor of the 'Utusan Malaysia' newspaper.

(4)On the front page of Utusan Malaysia newspaper dated 17 January 2012, the defendants had falsely and maliciously printed and published an article entitled 'Tolak Anwar-Hassan' (the 'first article') which is defamatory against the plaintiff. The first article which was published is:

'TOLAK ANWAR-HASSAN'

Bekas Pesuruhjaya PAS Selangor, Datuk Dr. Hassan Ali membidas Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim kerana mempertikaikan undang-undang berkaitan homoseksual di negara ini

Menurut beliau, pendirian Anwar tersebut bukanlah baharu kerana itulah pandangan peribadi dan pegangan asasi Penasihat Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) tersebut.

Oleh itu beliau menggesa rakyat menolak perjuangan Anwar kerana kegiatan tidak bermoral itu jika dihalalkan boleh mencetuskan pergolakan dan perpecahan dalam masyarakat serta kekacauan dalam negara

(5)On p 10 of the Utusan Malaysia newspaper dated 17 January 2012, the defendants had falsely and maliciously printed and published an article entitled 'Parasit ancam PAS, Anw