KUALA LUMPUR – The drama between controversial preacher Zakir Naik and former Penang deputy chief minister II P. Ramasamy rages on, with the former filing a counterclaim against the latter over three allegedly defamatory statements issued in 2019.
In the counterclaim, filed by law firm Akberdin & Co, Zakir is seeking a number of reliefs from Ramasamy for implying that he (Zakir) had spread hatred against non-Muslims.
The reliefs include a court order to compel the former DAP assemblyman to publish an apology on his Facebook page, as well as in eight newspapers and online portals.
Besides unspecific general, compensatory, aggravated and general damages, Zakir is also seeking injunction orders to compel Ramasamy to remove and avoid repeating the three supposedly defamatory statements.
Zakir’s counterclaim is to Ramasamy’s defamation suit filed last month.
Zakir is asserting that the publishing of the three statements caused him to suffer public embarrassment, mental pressure, trauma and distress, as well as exposed him to danger by inciting public anger against him.
One of the statements in question is an opinion piece published by an online news site dated August 12, 2019 titled: “Naik should stop his diabolical game of hatred against non-Muslims in M’sia.”
The other two statements were apparently posted on Ramasamy’s Facebook page on August 20 and 21 in the same year.
The three statements mentioned by Zakir in his counterclaim are different from a previous defamation suit the preacher had brought against Ramasamy in 2019 regarding four defamatory and malicious statements.
Ramasamy lost in that legal battle and was ordered court to pay RM1.52 million to Zakir in November last year, after the court found that the former Perai assemblyman could not prove the truth or appropriately justify the publication of his impugned statements, including one where he called Zakir a “satan”.
In Ramasamy’s suit filed last month, Zakir is accused of defamation by labelling the former as as “the biggest enemy of Islam.”
Meanwhile, in a lengthy statement of defence filed at the same time as his counterclaim against Ramasamy’s suit, Zakir argued that Ramasamy is intentionally “targeting” him as part of an “agenda” to tarnish his credibility as a reputable scholar and religious figure.
“The plaintiff (Ramasamy) is an individual who is attempting to lead astray the minds of the people in the name of the struggle faced by the Indian community, which is allegedly an impoverished and discriminated against minority in Malaysia, as well as the Hindu struggle, which the defendant had allegedly underscored during his lectures (which is denied).”
Zakir is also claiming Ramasamy resorted to “slander” and unfair criticism in order to gain popularity among his followers.
“This is (Ramasamy’s) modus operandi in slandering (Zakir), as he has done so before,” said the preacher’s statement of defence, which also alleged that Ramasamy is “Islamophobic” and a “cheap glory seeker.”
Zakir also contended that the phrase “biggest enemy of Islam” does not carry any defamatory “sting” against Ramasamy as the latter’s reputation has been tainted by the high court’s ruling last year in favour of Zakir’s defamation suit.
“Therefore, this action is not an action where the plaintiff comes with clean hands.” – January 16, 2024