Kuala Lumpur: Universiti Utara Malaysia lecturer Dr. Kamarul Zaman Yusoff informed the High Court today that he is aware the book, “Becoming Hannah: A Personal Journey” by Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh, has been vetted by the National Library of Malaysia. He confirmed that it is not categorized as a religious book.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Kamarul Zaman made this statement while being questioned by lawyer Sangeet Kaur Deo, who is representing Hannah Yeoh in a defamation suit. The suit was filed by Yeoh over two Facebook posts made by Kamarul Zaman in May 2017. During the trial, Sangeet Kaur sought confirmation from Dr. Kamarul that the book was catalogued under the National Library of Malaysia’s Cataloging-in-Publication Data.

Dr. Kamarul agreed with the lawyer’s assertion that the book was catalogued under the title Yeoh, Hannah, 1979; Women Politicians-Malaysia and Malaysia-Politics and Government. He also concurred that the book is not categorized as a religious book and that the term ‘Personal Journey’ reflects the personal story and journey of Hannah Yeoh, who is also the Segambut Member of Parliament.

However, when asked if there was no issue with spreading Christianity in the book, Kamarul Zaman disagreed with the lawyer. In the defamation suit filed in 2022, Hannah Yeoh claimed that Kamarul Zaman’s Facebook posts alleged she had a motive to promote Christianity through her political career. Kamarul had cited her biography as evidence of her intent to drive a Christian agenda and convert Malaysia into a Christian nation.

In his defense, Kamarul Zaman argued that his posts were not defamatory and were justified. He stated that as a lecturer and a Muslim, he felt it was his duty to inform the public about the book’s contents to prevent possible Christian influence.

The hearing is set to continue tomorrow before Judge Datuk Aliza Sulaiman.