Blogger Rocky Fails To Strike Out Defamation Suit

The High Court here today dismissed with costs an application from blogger Ahirudin Attan to strike out an amended defamation suit filed against him by The New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd (NSTP) and a few senior executives of the company over articles on his webblog.

Senior Assistant Registrar Siti Aishah Abdul Rashid made the decision in her chambers after scrutinising Ahirudin's application and submissions from both parties.

On May 4, Ahirudin who is also known as Rocky, sought a court order for the suspension of all proceedings relating to the case until the disposal of his application to strike out the suit.

In his application, he cited several grounds among them that the amended suit filed by the NSTP failed to clearly state the defamation arising from the articles that appeared on his Rocky's Bru weblog.

In his supporting affidavit, Ahirudin said that he filed a new application to strike out the suit as the plaintiffs had amended their statement of claim, which resulted in him withdrawing a similar application he had filed on Jan 24.

He also said that the plaintiffs' amended statement of claim was contemptuous because of its ambiguity, hence he was unable to answer or defend the action in full.

On Jan 4, the NSTP, its deputy chairman Datuk Kalimullah Hassan, chief executive officer Datuk Syed Faisal Albar, group editor-in-chief Datuk Hishamuddin Aun, and former group editor Brendan Pereira filed the suit against Ahirudin over his blog postings for defamation and spreading malicious falsehood.

They later amended their statement of claim after Ahirudin moved to have it struck out.

Justice Datuk Mohd Hishamudin Mohd Yunus has fixed Nov 28 to hear the application by the plaintiffs for an inter-parte injunction to require Ahirudin to remove certain articles from his weblog and restrain him from further publishing articles defamatory to them. (Bernama)