KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 15): A local egg importer company’s libel suit against former minister Datuk Seri Azmin Ali has been dismissed. 

High Court judge Leong Wai Hong ruled that J&E Advance Tech Sdn Bhd failed to prove elements in a libel suit over the Hulu Klang assemblyman’s comments in March 2023, on a government contract to meet an egg shortage. 

The judge said that Azmin had only mentioned businessman Deepak Jaikishan, but that J&E was "nowhere" mentioned. He added that to a reasonable person, they would not be able to pin the comments to J&E. 

"[Azmin] was referring to a person called Deepak, the plaintiff [in this case] is J&E. Further, I’m of the view that it was unreasonable for any person to believe that the plaintiff was mentioned in the impugned statement," he said on Friday. 

The judge also noted that Deepak did not hold any position in the company. J&E’s general manager Rajesh Jaikishan is Deepak’s brother. 

The court awarded costs of RM50,000.

It is understood that the company will be appealing Friday’s decision.

J&E sued Azmin in his personal capacity, over his comments which the company believed claimed that the company had obtained a contract through direct negotiation with the government to import eggs from India, as a temporary measure to meet a domestic shortage.

The company was seeking general, aggravated, and exemplary damages and costs incurred as a result of the action.

It was also seeking an injunction to be imposed on Azmin or his agents, prohibiting them from making, writing, or publishing such defamatory words against the company.

Meanwhile, Azmin claimed that his speech was fair comment, involving public interest, and denied any attempts to defame the company.

He said that he had not named the plaintiff directly or indirectly during his ceramah (speech). He added that he had not mentioned the company’s name, and only mentioned and criticised the government’s policies.

J&E was represented by Bhavanash Sharma, while Azmin was represented by Nizamuddin Hamid.

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