Farhash threatens suit against Zuraida

Farhash Wafa Salvador Rizal Mubarak, the political aide to PKR president Anwar Ibrahim, is threatening to sue PKR vice president Zuraida Kamaruddin for defamation.

This is over Zuraida’s speech at a dinner function at the Renaissance Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, on Dec 8 last year. The event was attended some 2,000 supporters of PKR deputy president Mohamed Azmin Ali.

In his letter of demand issued through lawyer Nik Zarith Nik Moustpha, claimed that Zuraida’s speech, among others, had implied Farhash was responsible for the brawl that took place at the PKR Congress in Malacca that weekend.

“You further repeat and/or amplify the defamatory and wrongful statements by willingly encouraging, permitting and promoting the publication and circulation of (the speech) to third parties, and (the speech) was republished and can easily be obtained and be viewed on the internet – notably in Youtube, as explained above.

“Our client strongly believes that the aforementioned defamatory statements, made by you, were actuated by malice.

“The malice is corroborated by the fact that you were already harbouring unfounded ill-will towards our client, ever since our client was detained and questioned by the police in an investigation concerning a sex-video allegedly involving a colleague, namely (Azmin),” the letter read.

The letter was dated Dec 23 last year.

Farhash demanded that Zuraida issue an unconditional apology within seven days from the date of the letter and publish it in The Star.

In addition, he demanded that she pays RM15,000 for his legal fees.

“If you failed to comply with the above demand within the time frame stipulated, we have strict instructions to proceed with legal action, for which you shall be further liable for damages, costs, interests, injunction and any ancillary orders the court may give,” the letter read.

The seven-day period would have lapsed on Dec 30.

When contacted, however, Zuraida told Malaysiakini that she has yet to receive the letter.

Meanwhile, Free Malaysia Today quoted Nik Zarith saying that Zuraida would be given more time to respond.

“We did mention seven days from the date of the letter, but we also understand the letter might have reached Zuraida later.

“We’ll give a suitable period for her to answer but for now we haven’t received any answer,” he was quoted as saying.