KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 8): Klang member of Parliament (MP) V Ganabatirau has filed a defamation suit at the High Court here against independent preacher and activist Firdaus Wong over social media postings questioning the lawmaker's loyalty to the country.

According to the statement of claim filed on Oct 8 by solicitors Messrs SN Nair & Partners, the Democratic Action Party (DAP) lawmaker named Wong as the sole defendant. 

The suit stems from social media postings published on Wong’s Facebook and Instagram accounts on July 28, 2026, regarding Ganabatirau’s discussion of the Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card scheme with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

According to the court filing, Ganabatirau had briefly met Modi during the Indian premier's official visit to Malaysia on Feb 8, 2026, where he conveyed feedback from constituents concerning procedural hurdles and the need for greater relaxation of OCI card requirements for eligible Malaysian Indians.

Following the encounter, Ganabatirau posted about the meeting on Facebook, expressing gratitude to Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for providing MPs the opportunity to share their views openly.

However, on the morning of July 28, Wong allegedly uploaded a post across his social media pages asking why Ganabatirau was "earnestly" requesting OCI relaxations, labelling the OCI as an "Overseas Indian Citizen Card", and concluding with the remark: "Ganabatirau setia kepada Malaysia” (Ganabatirau is loyal to Malaysia).

Ganabatirau contended that the concluding sentence, which was accompanied by the saluting face emoji, was deployed in a cynical, ironic, and sarcastic manner designed to insinuate the direct opposite of its literal phrasing.

Ganabatirau claimed the closing remark was sarcastic rather than an affirmation of his loyalty, and was intended to suggest that his loyalty to Malaysia was questionable.

He said the post, read as a whole, conveyed the impression that his loyalty was divided between Malaysia and India, and that he prioritised India’s interests over Malaysia’s.

The MP also stressed that the OCI facility does not confer Indian citizenship, adding that nothing in his original statement suggested Malaysians should give up their citizenship or loyalty to Malaysia.

The court filing noted that Wong commanded approximately 140,000 followers on Facebook and 387,000 followers on Instagram, resulting in widespread dissemination and public engagement that subjected the lawmaker to public ridicule, contempt, and severe reputational damage.

Prior to initiating legal action, Ganabatirau issued a Notice of Demand on Aug 4, 2026, requiring Wong to retract the statement, issue an unconditional apology, remove the postings, and provide an undertaking not to repeat the remarks.

Ganabatirau claimed that while Wong acknowledged receipt of the legal notice in a subsequent Facebook post on Sept 11, 2026, the defendant failed or refused to apologise or retract the statements, and instead affirmed and stood by his assertions.

Consequently, the MP is seeking general damages, aggravated damages, and exemplary damages, alongside a permanent injunction restraining Wong or his agents from republishing the defamatory remarks.

Ganabatirau is also seeking mandatory court orders directing Wong to delete the postings, publish a full and unconditional public apology across his Facebook and Instagram accounts according to terms set by the court, as well as statutory interest and legal costs.