Azril & Associates ADVOCATES & SOLICITORS PEGUAMBELA & PEGUAMCARA FOUNDER AND PRINCIPAL AZRIL MOHD AMIN PARTNER FAIDHUR RAHMAN BIN Date: 28 April 2021 ABDUL HADI YB TUAN LIM GUAN ENG BY HAND MODE OF DELIVERY By Fax No. 25, Pinhorn Road, By Hand Georgetown, By Ordinary Post By AR/Registered 11600 Penang. By Courier URGENT Dear Sir, RE: LETTER OF DEMAND IN RESPECT OF STATEMENTS DEFAMING DR. KAMARUL ZAMAN BIN HAJI YUSOFF ___________________________________________________________________ We refer to the above matter where we act for our client, Dr. Kamarul Zaman Bin Haji Yusoff, Senior Lecturer of Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) of 11B, Sisiran Naib Canselor, Universiti Utara Malaysia, 06010 Sintok, Kedah Darul Aman (“Client”). 2. We are instructed by our Client that you had on 21 April 2021 published or caused to be published the following statements on the DAP Malaysia website which are also carried by the Malay Mail referencing our Client, namely:- a) Kerajaan PN turut bersalah atas desakan PAS terhadap pilihan raya berdasarkan apartheid kaum dan agama serta Harakah mencetak artikel hasutan yang mencerca orang bukan Melayu atau bukan Ilam, terutama orang Krustian, dalam membantu orang Melayu atau orang Islam (Web link: https://dapmalaysia.org/Kenyataan-Akhbar/2021/04/21/32152/); b) PN government is equally culpable for PAS insistence on racial and religious electoral apartheid and Harakah Daily printing an inflammatory article pouring scorn on non-Malays or non-Muslims, especially Christians, helping Malays or Muslims (Web link: https://dapmalaysia.org/statements/2021/04/21/32151/); and c) Guan Eng accuses PAS of pushing envelope of extremism and racism in Malaysia (Web link: https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2021/04/21/guan-eng-accuses- pas-of-pushing-envelope-of-extremism-and-racism-in-malaysi/1968236 (Collectively the “Media Statements”) 3. And further to the above, the above Media Statements have been widely published, circulated, and disseminated to the public at large generally as well as shared and commented upon on various social media websites. 4. We are yet further instructed that the above Media Statements contain the following libellous statements that are defamatory of our Client (“Defamatory Statements”) quoted verbatim:- Suite 8.01 Level 8 Menara Binjai, No 2 Jalan Binjai, 50450 Kuala Lumpur Telephone : +603 2386 7781 Facsimile : +603 2386 7711 E-mel : [email protected] Office Hour : Monday - Friday Time : 9.00 a.m - 5.30 p.m a) “Pensyarah kanan Universiti Utara Malaysia Kamarul Zaman Yusoff memalukan kedudukan akademiknya dengan menulis di Harakah mempersoalkan motif Ahli Parlimen DAP Bukit Mertajam Steven Sim membantu seorang Melayu Islam di kawasan Steven sendiri. Kamarul dengan jahat melabelkan Sim sebagai mubaligh Kristian Cina, walaupun Steven tidak pernah menyampaikan khutbah di mana-mana gereja. Kamarul malah membandingkan pemberian sebuah motosikal oleh Sim dengan bantuan motosikal yang diberikan oleh seorang Timbalan Menteri Melayu kepada seorang Melayu Islam, walaupun pengguna media sosial sudah menyatakan bahawa Steven Sim bukan lagi seorang Timbalan Menteri dan tidak mempunyai akses kepada dana kerajaan. Mengapakah PAS memberi ruang kepada mereka yang nampaknya membenci dan mencerca orang bukan Melayu atau bukan Islam membantu orang Melayu atau orang Islam dengan melabelkan mereka sebagai mubaligh Kristian Cina?” b) “Universiti Utara Malaysia senior lecturer Kamarul Zaman Yusoff disgraced his academic position by writing in Harakah questioning the motives of DAP MP for Bukit Mertajam Steven Sim helping a Malay Muslim in Steven’s own constituency. Kamarul maliciously labelled Sim as a Chinese Christian evangelist, even though Steven does not do any preaching at any church. Kamarul even compared Sim’s gift of a motorcycle to a similar aid of a motorcycle given by a Malay Deputy Minister to a Malay Muslim, even though social media users pointed out that Steven Sim is no longer a Deputy Minister and had no access to government funds. Why is PAS giving space to those that appears to frown and pour scorn on non-Malays or non-Muslims helping Malays or Muslims by labelling them as Chinese Christian evangelist?” 5. We are further instructed that the above Defamatory Statements were and are wholly false in fact as well as published by you or on your behalf. Further, the Defamatory Statements are libellous and by their ordinary and natural meaning and/or by implication and innuendo are taken, construed and understood to mean that:- (a) our Client is a disgrace to to his academic position. (b) our Client maliciously labelled Steven Sim as a Chinese Christian evangelist, even though Steven Sim does not do any preaching at any church. (c) our Client makes unjustifiable comparisons between Steven Sim who is a Chinese and is no longer a Deputy Minister and a sitting Malay Deputy Minister in the giving of aid to Malay Muslims. (d) our Client frowns and pours scorn on non-Malays or non-Muslims helping Malays and Muslims by labelling them as Chinese Christian evangelists. 6. Therefore we are instructed that due to and as a direct and/or indirect result of the Defamatory Statements made and published by you or on your behalf and the dissemination thereof to the public at large, our Client has suffered injury in the form of irreversable damages, losses and serious physical and/or pyschological harm to himself personally and/or to his reputation in his personal and professional capacity including as Senior Lecturer at UUM including but not limited to being exposed to open and persistent ridicule and contempt by society at large thereby causing our Client to suffer from immense distress, extreme anxiety and deep 2 shame in which he is entitled in law and hereby claims due compensation from you. 7. Consequently we are instructed by our Client to demand from you the following on an immediate basis:- (a) an open and public declaration made by you directed towards our Client, the contents of which shall be subject to our Client’s absolute discretion to approve, admitting to and declaring the utter falsehood of sundry contents of the Media Statements above, with particular reference to and emphasis on the Defamatory Statements therein contained with such apology to be published on the social media platform known as Facebook tagging our Client and left there for at least thirty (30) days; (b) an open and public apology made by you directed towards our Client, the contents of which shall be subject to our Client’s absolute discretion to approve, apologising wholeheartedly, unequivocally, unreservedly and unconditionally for the publication of the same Media Statements above consequent to the above declaration as well as a binding and enforcable undertaking not to repeat the same; and (c) monetary damages in the amount of Ringgit Malaysia One Million Only [RM1,000,000.00] to be paid by you directly to our Client or to us as stakeholders, being compensation in respect of the Defamatory Statements injuring our Client as described above. 8. And we are further instructed by our Client for you to TAKE NOTICE that should we fail to hear from you or anyone appointed on your behalf WITHIN SEVEN (7) DAYS from your receipt of this letter, that we have instructions from our Client to proceed and commence with legal action against you in respect of the above demands, without further reference to you. Thank you. Yours faithfully, ....................................................... MESSRS AZRIL & ASSOCIATES c.c Client 3 .