Sue for defamation, why use the police, Bersatu tells Anwar over bungalow report

Bersatu today urged Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to file a civil suit against a number of individuals who had lodged a report with the country's anti-graft agency over his house and a luxury car instead of resorting to the police as a response. 

Sasha Lyna Abdul Latif of Bersatu's legal and constitutional bureau said it was Anwar's right to file a suit for defamation if he was aggrieved by the allegations. 

"When he was in the opposition, Anwar frequently filed defamation suits against his critics," she said. 

"Now that he holds power, is Anwar expecting special treatment by invoking police powers to protect his reputation?"

Citing Article 8 of the constitution which provides for equality among all citizens, she said Anwar should move to the courts if he believed his reputation had been tarnished. 

Bersatu information committee member Badrul Hisham Shaharin along with Supreme Council member Wan Saiful Wan Jan and blogger Raggie Jessy Rithaudeen lodged the report with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission on July 11, claiming that Anwar's house in Sungai Long, Kajang, was actually owned by a "Chinese towkay". 

Badrul also spoke of a luxury car which he said Anwar did not own. 

Anwar's political secretary Ahmad Farhan Fauzi subsequently lodged police reports against the trio, claiming criminal defamation against the prime minister and citing social media posts as well as remarks at a recent ceramah. 

He said a report had also been lodged against Badrul for breaking MACC laws by revealing the contents of his report to the agency. 

Sasha said Anwar's lawyer Sankara Nair had said he had proof that Badrul's allegations were untrue. 

"If that is the case, the evidence should be handed over to MACC so that MACC can have a proper investigation into the complaint lodge by Badrul.

"Instead, why is the prime minister lodging a police report against citizens who are questioning his source of wealth and threatening them with criminal action?"

She said it was also hypocritical of Anwar to invoke the Communications and Multimedia Act as he had, in 2021, called it a "draconian law used to clamp down on free speech".

"Pakatan Harapan, when in the opposition, also frequently condemned the use of Section 500 of the Penal Code," she said. 

Reminding Anwar of his vows to crack down on such laws during Barisan Nasional's time in power, she referred to a Twitter post he had made in 2021 quoting philosopher Voltaire: "I may disagree with what you say, but I will defend to the end your right to say it."

"Has Anwar forgotten his Voltaire?" she added.