Utusan Melayu (Malaysia) Berhad today failed to strike out a defamation suit filed against the company by Pahang Menteri Besar Adnan Yaakob over the publication of an article, with the title ‘Hebat Sangatkah Adnan’.

This followed High Court judge Yeoh Wee Siam’s decision in dismissing the application with costs of RM3,000.

Yeoh made the decision in chambers in the presence of lawyers Americk Sidhu, representing Adnan, and Azhar Arman Ali and M Reza Hassan, appearing for Utusan .

M Reza, when met by reporters, said the court however allowed an application by Utusan for hearing of the case, which had been fixed this Monday, to be postponed, pending an appeal of today’s decision to the Court of Appeal.

Adnan filed the suit on Dec 5 last year over the publication of the article in Mingguan Malaysia on Nov 9 last year under the column ‘Analisis Mingguan Bisik-Bisik Awang Selamat’.

He claimed the article had portrayed him as unfit to hold the post of Pahang menteri besar, had failed to carry out his responsibilities, was holding the post for too long and was pretentious.

He said the publication of the article had tarnished his reputation and brought him into public odium.

- Bernama