Tamil Malar Daily sues for defamation. They want RM50m from Saravanan!

Posted on September 5, 2017 by weehingthong

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20 November 2017

Tamil Malar claims defamation, seeks RM50m from Saravanan

(Updated )

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Tamil Malar has sought RM50 million from Deputy Youth and Sports Minister M Saravanan over allegedly defamatory remarks against the daily.

The daily’s owner City Team Media Sdn Bhd had filed the defamation suit at the Kuala Lumpur High Court last Friday.

The suit was based on Saravanan’s comments which appeared on Malaysiakini, Makkal Osai and a Facebook Live session, in which the deputy minister allegedly claimed that Tamil Malar was producing “fake news”.

The plaintiff had also sought an injunction to prevent the defendant or his agents from repeating the allegedly defamatory words.

Case management has been fixed for Dec 18.

There was a scuffle in front of Tamil Malar’s office on Sept 5 after a group of men gathered to complain about an article, which claimed that Federal Territories MIC headquarters was not paying rent.

An ensuing melee saw three people, including the daily’s legal advisor K Saraswathy, attacked. Her phone was also snatched.
Read more at https://m.malaysiakini.com/news/402636#UuJ6gzQSWsO6rJPH.99

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11 September 2017

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Spat with Saravanan – Tamil Malar accused of mocking Hinduism

Tamil Malar has courted flak for publishing a photograph of Deputy Youth and Sports Minister M Saravanan fulfilling a religious vow during Thaipusam with a headline deemed as mocking Hinduism on its front-page.

The headline was based on a Tamil song.

In a statement today, MIC information chief VS Mohan lambasted Tamil Malar for “using religion to settle political scores.”

“It would not be a lie to say the report has insulted all Hindus. It is common for Hindus to pay penance to the Gods. This is what Saravanan did. How is it acceptable to publish a photograph of him doing this with a Tamil dance number’s title? MIC strongly condemns this.

“The police have spoken to both parties involved in the squabble and investigations are ongoing. Thus, by continuing to publish such reports, Tamil Malar has gone out of character,” he said.

Mohan further claimed the daily had always spun reports to demonise the government and MIC.
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Meanwhile, a WhatsApp message being circulated is urging Hindus to lodge police reports against the daily.

“A Tamil paper is making fun of a Hindu guy who took Kavadi. What’s going to be your reaction Hindus of Malaysia? Are you going to silent because the joke is on a MIC guy?” read the message, noting that the daily could have used other photograph of Saravanan for its report.

https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/394835

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Tamil Malar gives deadline to cops to act against fracas

Annabelle Lee

Tamil Malar has given the police until this Friday (Sept 15) to conduct “fair” investigations into the fracas at its premises last Tuesday, failing which it would withdraw its report and seek legal means to remedy the situation.

The newspaper’s owner Oms Thiagarajan told Malaysiakini that they are not happy with the police investigations (into the incident) so far and have no confidence in the police.

Thiagarajan, who was injured in the scuffle in which Deputy Youth and Sports Minister M Saravanan was implicated, said the incident had only involved two parties, and thus, should not pose a big challenge to the police.

“Either he (Saravanan) is lying, or I am lying.

“If the police want to arrest me, I am ready,” he said.

Thiagarajan had previously made a police report, alleging he was punched in the face by a group of men who have mobbed him at the daily’s office last Tuesday.
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Saravanan has, however, denied involvement in the incident, claiming that the fight had begun before he arrived and he had showed up only to “break up” the fight.

The daily has also previously voiced dissatisfaction with the police’s classification of the incident as “riot”.

https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/394841

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6 September 2017

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Daily claims fracas started after Saravanan arrived

Annabelle Lee

Tamil Malar legal advisor K Saraswathy has claimed that the scuffle outside the daily’s office in Kuala Lumpur erupted after Deputy Youth and Sports Minister M Saravanan arrived.

This contradicted Saravanan’s claim that the fracas started before he was there and that he had told everyone to leave.

Saraswathy produced closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage to back up her claim. However, Saravanan’s face was not visible.

“As you can see, there was only one security guard at the door leading up to the office. I stood next to him together with (Tamil Malar owner) Oms Thiagarajan when Saravanan came at 11.56am.

“Oms was speaking to him. I asked him (Saravanan) why he brought all these people to my premises but he was rude to me,” she claimed when met at her office this afternoon.

Based on the footage, Saraswathy claimed the fight started at 11.57am when a man turned over the security guard’s table and chair.

“I suspect that was the ‘signal’ (for the fight). Saravanan just stood by while the fight happened.

“And then at 11.59am, Saravanan’s long-time assistant and driver snatched my phone and threw it on the floor,” she alleged.

Eyewitnesses claim that up to 80 men, some clad in “MIC Taskforce” shirts, had been involved in the fight. Oms was punched and had his shirt torn after allegedly engaging in an argument with Saravanan, while photographer S Shanmugam was slapped in the face.

Saravanan, who is also the Federal Territory MIC chief, has maintained that he was not responsible for the scuffle, and had only showed up to break up the fight.
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Saraswathy said yesterday’s incident was the third time this year Saravanan has appeared at Tamil Malar’s office.

“Twice he has brought ‘gangsters’ with him. But yesterday was the first time we were physically hit. Things like this scare and intimidate my staff,” she said.

https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/394326

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DAP wants PM to condemn attack, demands apology from Saravanan

Annabelle Lee

DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang has asked Deputy Youth and Sports Minister M Saravanan to apologise over his alleged involvement in a scuffle at a Tamil daily’s office on Tuesday.

“MIC President Dr S Subramaniam must also take a stand and condemn what happened.

“I call upon the Prime Minister (Najib Abdul Razak) to condemn this before he goes to the White House next week, because if you allow gangsterism in one area, it will spread to other areas.

“He (Najib) should ask Saravanan if this is an example a deputy minister should set,” Lim told a press conference at the Tamil Malar office in Kuala Lumpur today.

https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/394300

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Daily’s boss, top editor ‘assaulted’, deputy minister claims ‘no such thing’

Annabelle Lee

A police report was lodged claiming that a group of men linked to Deputy Youth and Sports Minister M Saravanan had assaulted the owner of a Tamil daily and its editor-in-chief.

However, the MIC leader denied that such an incident occurred.

“I deny it totally, no such incident happened.

“In the last two days, Tamil Malar had been publishing fake news about Federal Territory MIC and today, some MIC Youth boys wanted to clarify the issue (with the newspaper).

“They had an argument on the streets, they were pushing each other but it was not a serious attack,” Saravanan told Malaysiakini.

Saravanan, who is Federal Territory MIC chief, said he arrived at the scene this morning after being informed of the scuffle and had “asked everyone to go home”.

Malaysiakini learnt that both sides had filed reports with the Dang Wangi district police headquarters.

Met at Tamil Malar‘s office in Kuala Lumpur, journalist C Christ claimed he witnessed the daily’s owner Oms Thiagarajan and editor-in-chief K Saraswathy being assaulted.

“My boss (Oms) was arguing with Saravanan when I walked towards him, and then a member of Saravanan’s group wearing a T-shirt saying ‘MIC Taskforce’ punched my boss.

“There was a fight and they even tore my boss’ shirt.

“And they snatched my editor-in-chief’s (Saraswathy) phone because she was taking photographs.

“One of our photographers named Shan was also slapped. They grabbed his camera.

“The whole thing took about 30 minutes,” Christ relayed to Malaysiakini, adding that there had been 70 to 80 young men involved.
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The daily had on Sept 3 published an article with the headline “Where is the rental money collection?” on its front page.

It was a report on the Selangor MIC annual general meeting (AGM), where MIC Kota Raja chief VT Rajen had asked about the absence of rental payment receipts for the Federal Territory MIC building, explained N Nandini, the Tamil Malar journalist who wrote it.

Malaysiakini understands that the building belongs to the party but Federal Territory MIC, as the tenant, was required to pay rent for it every month.

Saravanan’s response was published today, in which he had expressed his outrage over how the paper had asked about his division’s accounts.

https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/394210

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15m15 minutes ago

MIC leader brought gangsters beat up a Tamil paper GM & staffs for exposing him in theft of party rental money.

Comments

PRESS RELEASE

MIC leader and deputy minister brings gangster to media office and beats up General Manager and staff

Gangsters today visited a Tamil news daily office and beat up their staff over a expose made about an MIC leader.

Tamil Malar, had exposed MIC Wilayah state chairman Datuk M. Saravanan for stealing from the rental collection of the state MIC building.

This infuriated the MIC leader who is also Deputy Youth and Sports Minister, to the point where he decided to bring gangsters to the Tamil Malar office.

Minutes after arriving Saravanan, his gangsters and some MIC CWC members went to Tamil Malar and assaulted the General Manager Saraswathy with punches and slaps.

The gangsters then directed their violence towards the owner of the paper, Oms Thiagarajan.

The chaos left a bloody situation where both the GM, owner and some staff were left bleeding, injured and even suffered some broken teeth.

The incident is a major blow to the credibility of Barisan Nasional, where a woman reporter cum General Manager of a daily newspaper was attacked mercilessly by the politician and his goons.

Drastic and immediate action should be taken for such a heinous attack on a media practitioner and their staff.
I urge National Union of Journalists Malaysia (NUJ) to also bring this up and call for immediate action as this is blatant physical attack due to a media expose.

This also serves as a U-turn to any ground made in the country for press freedom and the protection of media practitioners.

Barisan Nasional should also take action against this leader as he is bringing shame to the party and coalition.

It seems Saravanan is going back to his old ways “Ganja Saravanan” of being a gangster, but beating up a woman could be his most disrespectable act yet.

END.

 

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