This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, on November 27, 2015.

KUALA LUMPUR: Lembah Pantai member of parliament (MP) Nurul Izzah Anwar filed a suit yesterday against Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar and Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob for allegedly accusing her of being a traitor to the country. 

Nurul Izzah, who is PKR vice-president, filed the suit at the Civil High Court registry through the law firm Messrs Daim & Gamany. The Malaysian Insider reported that the suit was filed by her lawyers N Surendran and Latheefa Koya. She named Khalid and Ismail Sabri as the first and second defendants respectively in the suit. 

In her statement of claim, Nurul Izzah stated that on Nov 22 this year, Khalid had uttered defamatory words at a press conference in the Bukit Aman Police headquarters.  She claimed that the defamatory words were uttered a few days after the appearance of photographs of her with Jacel Kiram, daughter of Jamalulail Kiram who is said to have ordered or led the invasion of Sabah in 2013. 

Nurul Izzah claimed that the defamatory words, in their original or usual meaning, depicted her as a traitor to the country and the mastermind behind the Sulu attack on, and intrusion of, Sabah. She also claimed that on the same day, Ismail Sabri also uttered defamatory words in a press conference in Bera, Pahang, and the words implied that she was a traitor to the country and had declared war against the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

She said the defamatory statements by both the defendants were published in the electronic and print media. She claimed that this defamation had seriously injured her reputation as an MP and a political leader. As such, she is seeking general and aggravated damages, interests, costs, and other relief deemed fit by the court. — Bernama/The Malaysian Insider