You cannot sue me as you are a public figure open to scrutiny.
That is the argument put forth by Akmal Nasir, director of the National Oversight and Whistleblowers Centre (NOW) to Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Jamil Khir Baharom, who is suing him for defamation over a series of revelations alleging the misuse of public funds.
“Thus the conduct, behaviour and acts performed by the plaintiff (Jamil Khir) are matters of extreme public importance and interest which must be subject to public discussion as well as open to robust criticism and scrutiny,” Akmal said in his defence submission today, say news reports.
In his defence, Akmal said the call for Jamil Khir to resign from his post was protected under the right to free speech, and that he had a moral duty to relay information about the alleged misappropriation of funds by a public figure.
Akmal also refused to apologise for calling for Jamil Khir’s resignation from the cabinet and for accusing the minister of using more than RM400,000 in funds belonging to the Malaysian Islamic Economic Development Foundation (YaPEIM), meant for orphans and poor children, for a trip to the United States last year.
Jamil Khir, who is in charge of Islamic affairs in the PM’s Department, is seeking general, aggravated and exemplary damages, and an apology to be carried on the Facebook pages of Akmal and NOW, as well as in all national newspapers.