KUALA LUMPUR, June 27- Seputeh member of parliament Teresa Kok Suh Sim (photo) agreed in the High Court here yesterday that her name was not specifically mentioned in the ‘Cuit’ column of Utusan Malaysia five years ago.
Kok also agreed that only the names of Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim and former menteri besar Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo were mentioned in the article under the heading, “Azan, Jawi, Jais, UiTM dan ba-alif-ba-ya”, which was published on Sept 10, 2008.
“I agree that only Khir Toyo and Khalid’s names were mentioned in the article and no other leader (Yang Berhormat)’s name,” she said during cross-examination by counsel Mohana Kumar T.K.B., who is representing Utusan Malaysia and columnist Datuk Mohd Zaini Hassan, in her RM30 million defamation suit against them.
However, Kok, who is represented by counsel S.N. Nair, said readers who read the whole article would know it referred to her. She said Utusan did not contact her to get her comments on the article in the ‘Cuit’ column.
She also said that the defendants never interviewed her on the issues mentioned in the article before publishing it.
Questioned by Mohana whether she agreed that when Mohd Zaini wrote the column he was bound by journalism ethics not to reveal the names of his sources, she answered, “I don’t agree”.
She also disagreed with counsel that Utusan Malaysia was not biased in its reporting.
Meanwhile, Kok admitted that Pakatan Rakyat boycotted Utusan Malaysia at the end of May 2008, but said reporters from Utusan were still invited to, and attended Pakatan Rakyat’s press conferences in Selangor.
On Oct 9, 2008, Kok filed the suit claiming that the article had portrayed her as a person who could not be trusted, a bad politician, a racist and anti-Islam.
She contended that the article was also made widely accessible throughout Malaysia and the world through Utusan’s online service, resulting in her reputation and integrity being tarnished.
The trial before Justice Siti Khadijah S.Hassan Badjenid continues today.
– BERNAMA
