KUALA LUMPUR: Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin has applied to strike out a RM100mil defamation suit filed by Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim against him.
Khairy's lawyer Sarah Abishegam said High Court deputy registrar Anisah Normah Muhammad Nor set June 16 for case management when the matter was called up in chambers yesterday.
She said the date was for parties to exhaust affidavits for the striking-out application. Lead counsel Sulaiman Abdullah acted for Anwar.
In his application filed on Feb 21 at the High Court here, Khairy said as Umno Youth deputy chief during the period in question, he had legal, moral and social responsibility to the public and Malay community.
He said the public had valid interest in information on matters that had impact on social welfare, economy and politics.
Anwar filed the suit on March 7, 2008, claiming that Khairy had uttered defamatory words and caused the posting on websites including Malaysiakini.com, of a video clip entitled Anwar and kin no threat.
Khairy, who is now Umno Youth chief, said the court could use its discretion to strike out Anwar's claim on grounds that it was frivolous and vexatious, or alternatively, that it was abuse of the court process.
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