KJ mohon mahkamah dedah penulis artikel didakwa fitnah

Former Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin has requested a court order for MYNIC Bhd to reveal the identity of the individual behind a news portal article deemed defamatory against him. According to New Straits Times, Khairy filed a civil suit to obtain the identity of the registered owner of the domain focusmalaysia.my. This comes after the publication of an article titled "10 Reasons Why KJ Is Not Eligible to Become Prime Minister, Malaysians Need To Examine His Past Records Thoroughly" on March 10, 2023, by a writer using the pseudonym "pemerhati rasuah".

Khairy's legal team claimed that the writer's identity remained unknown and confirmed without any judicial intervention. His lawyer had issued a notice of claim to Focus Malaysia Sdn Bhd on March 13, 2023, but the company denied ownership of the website in question, citing its disengagement from the business around 2018. Khairy is seeking documents related to the domain registration, including the original registration date, the expiration date, the registrar involved, and any changes in ownership.

In their affidavit response, MYNIC stated that they possess information regarding the ownership and have no hindrance in disclosing the relevant information if directed by the court. MYNIC claimed that the company registered as the owner on March 10, 2023, remained the registered owner at the time the defamatory article was published, despite the fact that MYNIC disputed Khairy's request to obtain the documents and communications between the domain registration, registrant, and the registrar, citing the information as irrelevant or unnecessary for the defamation suit.

The company emphasized that it was an innocent third party and not the defendant named in Khairy's defamation suit.