Khairy fails to shoot down RM100m Anwar suit

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 26 — The High Court today dismissed the application by Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin to set aside the court’s order to strike out his defence in the RM100 million defamation suit filed against him by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Judge Datuk Hue Siew Kheng rendered the decision in chambers in the presence of both parties.

Datuk Sulaiman Abdullah, Anwar’s lawyer, told reporters that the court was of the opinion that Khairy’s (picture) affidavit had no merit and had also ordered him to pay RM30,000 in cost.

The court then fixed December 26 for the hearing.

Meanwhile, Khairy’s lawyer Datuk Seri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah said his client will appeal the matter at the Court of Appeal.

The application was filed on November 9, following his failure as defendant, to obey a June 29 court order to enter his defence.

He had earlier been ordered by Hue to file his defence but both he and his lawyer had failed to appear in court on August 13, which had been scheduled for case management.

Khairy, who is also Rembau member of parliament, had further stated that his failure to obey the order was unintentional.

On March 7, 2008, Anwar, filed the suit against Khairy, claiming that the latter, who was then Umno Youth deputy chief, had uttered defamatory words and caused a video clip entitled, “Anwar and kin no threat” to be posted on websites, including Malaysiakini.com.

The opposition leader also claimed that the video clip on Malaysiakini.com included parts of Khairy’s speech at Lembah Pantai on or around February 20, 2008.