Kuala Lumpur: The trial of Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil’s defamation suits against three individuals, including the blogger known as Papagomo, is poised to begin on October 2 at the High Court in Kuala Lumpur. Fahmi has taken legal action against Wan Muhammad Azri Wan Deris, widely recognized by his online persona Papagomo, as well as freelance preacher Ahmad Dusuki Abd Rani and Facebook user Mohd Fauzan Madzlan. The suits were filed following allegations that Fahmi, who also serves as the Lembah Pantai MP, had delivered a political speech at a mosque in Rawang, Selangor, thereby misusing the place of worship.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Fahmi initiated these legal proceedings on September 5, 2023. The legal representative of Fahmi, lawyer Asheeq Ali Sethi Alivi, informed reporters post-proceedings that Judge Roz Mawar Rozain consented to consolidate the lawsuits against the three defendants for a joint hearing. The court has scheduled the trial for October 2 and 3. Lawyer Mohammed Zamri Ibrahim, representing Mohd Fauzan, was also present during the proceedings.

Fahmi’s statement of claim asserts that Wan Muhammad Azri, Ahmad Dusuki, and Mohd Fauzan disseminated defamatory comments, accusing him of exploiting the mosque for electioneering and defying the decrees of the Sultan of Selangor. These statements reportedly surfaced on Mohd Fauzan’s Facebook page and the social media accounts of Ahmad Dusuki on July 31, 2023, followed by posts on Wan Muhammad Azri’s TikTok and Facebook on August 1, 2023.

Fahmi maintains that the accusations are unfounded, bolstered by the Selangor Islamic Religious Council’s affirmation that he did not engage in political discourse at the mosque as accused. He is pursuing general, aggravated, or exemplary damages and is seeking an injunction to prevent the defendants from repeating or facilitating the redistribution of the defamatory statements.