Kuala Lumpur: A former senior officer of the Media Research Centre at the Malaysian Islamic Strategic Research Institute (IKSIM) told the High Court here today that neither the Home Minister nor the Inspector-General of Police had taken any action against the book ‘Becoming Hannah: A Personal Journey’.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Harizal Hassan, 45, stated this during cross-examination by lawyer Sangeet Kaur Deo, who represents Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh in her defamation suit against Universiti Utara Malaysia lecturer Dr. Kamarul Zaman Yusoff. The case pertains to two Facebook posts about the book made in May 2017.
Sangeet Kaur Deo pointed out that both the Minister of Home Affairs and the Inspector-General of Police are Muslim, implying that the book should not be problematic for them. However, Harizal disagreed, stating that action could be taken if there was a threat, but confirmed that no such action had been taken.
The fourth defence witness, Harizal, who now manages social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, acknowledged that despite IKSIM’s intelligence activities and good relations with authorities, no action had been taken against the book.
During the proceedings, Sangeet highlighted that the Royal Malaysian Police has divisions dedicated to terrorism and social intelligence, staffed by well-trained officers. Harizal concurred but mentioned IKSIM’s involvement in intelligence work, despite which, no action was taken against the book.
Harizal also admitted that he had not filed a police report regarding the book but was present in court to provide testimony. Following the conclusion of the final defence witness’s testimony, Judge Datuk Aliza Sulaiman set the decision for May 30, with both parties required to submit written arguments by April 21.
Hannah Yeoh’s lawsuit, filed in 2022, alleges that between May 10 and May 17, 2017, Kamarul Zaman posted Facebook statements accusing her of spreading Christianity through her political activities. He cited her biography ‘Becoming Hannah: A Personal Journey’ as promoting a Christian agenda and claimed she aimed to convert Malaysia into a Christian nation.
In his defence, Kamarul Zaman argued that his Facebook posts were not defamatory, asserting that he felt obligated to inform the public about the book’s content, fearing it might influence them towards Christianity.