ISMAIL Sabri Yaakob today obtained an injunction from the High Court ordering the owner of Agenda Daily Media Enterprise to delete an article allegedly defaming the prime minister, which was published on its website, pending the disposal of the case.

Lawyer Joshua Tan, representing the prime minister, said judge Nik Hasmat Nik Mohamad granted the inter-parte injunction application by Ismail as the plaintiff against the defendant, Muhamad Izwan Mohd Zubit, in online proceedings, which was also attended by Izwan’s lawyer, Asiah Abd Jalil.

Tan said through the application, the prime minister managed to obtain an order for the defendant to delete the article titled “Ismail Sabri bimbang jadi PM paling singkat, ‘rayu’ jangan tarik sokongan” on the website or other websites managed by the defendant.

“The injunction application was granted without cost. The court also set August 26 for case management,” he told Bernama when contacted.

On February 18,  Ismail obtained a similar order through an ex-parte application in his defamation suit, which he filed in his personal capacity against Izwan.

In his statement of claim, Ismail said on January 30, Agenda Daily Media had published an article on its website, which contained various ill-intentioned, defamatory and untrue statements regarding the plaintiff.

The Bera MP claimed that the article, among others, implied he was desperate to continue being the prime minister in whatever way and was even willing to beg certain political parties not to withdraw their support for him, besides inferring that he was worried about becoming the prime minister with the shortest tenure in Malaysian history.

As a result of the article’s publication, Ismail said his reputation as an Umno member and as prime minister had been tarnished, which hurt his feelings and could have a negative effect on his political career.

Meanwhile Izwan, in his statement of defence, said he and his company had practised responsible journalism in the publication of the article.

He also refuted the claim that the article contained defamatory and malicious statements towards Ismail.

In his reply to the statement of defence, Ismail said he had never begged any political party to maintain their support for him to remain as prime minister. – Bernama, July 25, 2022.