Blogger: Libellous parts not specified
4 May 2007 (The Star)

KUALA LUMPUR: Blogger Ahirudin Atan denied that the articles he ran on his weblog had defamed a mainstream newspaper and four others.

In his defence filed yesterday, Ahirudin claimed that he could not defend his case properly because the New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd (NSTP) and the four others did not specify the alleged libellous parts in the suit against him.

Ahirudin, best known as Rocky, said the remarks made about the Weekend Mail’s Nov 4 and 5 sexually suggestive publication was fair comment.

“A weblog is important to give space to the public to air its opinions and comments on issues without censorship.”

“The mainstream print media are strictly controlled by laws and are under the huge influence of Barisan Nasional political parties,” he said. He added that the issue of plagiarism was addressed in his blog as a matter of public interest.

“The standard of reporting by the media must be executed at the highest level because the media is the first draft of history.

“Journalistic integrity is the core principle in writing or reporting so as to secure truthful publications,” he said.

On Jan 4, 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 a suit against Ahirudin for defamation and malicious falsehood.

Ahirudin had originally wanted to strike out the suit on grounds that it was fatally deficient because it did not state the exact words in the weblog.

He, however, withdrew the application last month because the plaintiffs amended their suit.

Justice Mohd Hishamuddin Mohd Yunus fixed June 28 to hear the application by the plaintiffs for an inter-parte injunction to require Ahirudin, a former editor of the Malay Mail, to remove certain articles from his weblog and restrain him from further publishing articles defamatory to them.