THE Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court proposed today that the suit filed by former minister Mujahid Yusof Rawa against PAS organ Harakah over articles involving cosmetic entrepreneur Muhammad Sajjad Kamaruz Zaman, or better known as Sajat, be settled through mediation.

Mujahid’s lawyer Noorazmir Zakaria told Bernama this at the completion of virtual proceedings before Judge Zulqarnain Hassan.

“Today was set for hearing, but before proceedings began, justice Zulqarnain proposed for the case to be settled amicably, and so the counsels will discuss this with our respective clients,” he said, while also informing that case management on the matter has been set for September 7.

The former de facto religious affairs minister filed the suit on August 12 last year, naming Harakah reporter Aziz Muda, its editor-in-chief Wan Nordin Wan Yaacob, its online portal harakahdaily.net operator Galeri Media Serbanika Sdn Bhd and the newspaper’s printer, Percetakan Turbo (M) Sdn Bhd, as the defendants.

In his statement of claim, Mujahid claimed that on February 7, Aziz, Wan Nordin and Galeri Media had written and published defamatory words against him on harakahdaily.net via an article titled Sajat: Mujahid dan K’jaan PH patut dipersalahkan and another one titled Keterlanjuran Sajat kesilapan Mujahid dan kerajaan PH published in the Harakah newspaper dated February 10-13.

The Parit Buntar MP said the defamatory words implied that he was an irresponsible man for allowing the public, especially Muslims, to engage in lesbian, gay, bisexual, transexual (LGBT) activities, and that he was the main reason Sajat wore a telekung (Muslim women’s prayer garb) and behaved like a woman while performing umrah.

Mujahid claimed that the defamatory words had tarnished his dignity, credibility and reputation as the minister in charge of religious affairs at the time.

In their statement of defence filed on September 28, last year, the defendants said Mujahid should be man enough to be responsible for the statement he made and should not be offended by the criticisms hurled at him, especially by media practitioners, over the issue. – Bernama, August 30, 2021.