Ganabatirau sues Firdaus Wong over ‘loyalty’ posts

Klang MP V Ganabatirau has filed a defamation suit against preacher Firdaus Wong at the High Court here over social media posts allegedly casting doubt on his loyalty to Malaysia.

Ganabatirau said the posts, published on Firdaus’s Facebook and Instagram accounts on July 28, were defamatory and had tarnished his reputation, integrity and credibility as an elected representative.

The posts followed Ganabatirau’s meeting with Narendra Modi during the Indian prime minister’s visit to Malaysia on Feb 8.

According to the statement of claim, Ganabatirau raised concerns with Modi about the requirements for the Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) facility and sought greater flexibility for eligible Malaysians of Indian descent.

Ganabatirau said Firdaus questioned his motive for making the request so “earnestly” during the meeting.

The post also described OCI as an “Overseas Indian Citizen Card” and ended with the words “Ganabatirau is loyal to Malaysia”, accompanied by a saluting-face emoji.

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 suit stated that Firdaus’s Facebook account had about 140,000 followers, while his Instagram account had about 387,000.

The Facebook post received about 963 reactions, 207 comments and 139 shares, while the Instagram post garnered about 1,525 likes and 163 comments.

Ganabatirau said he issued a letter of demand on Aug 4, seeking a retraction, an apology and the removal of the posts.

He claimed Firdaus refused to comply and publicly stood by the allegation.

Ganabatirau is seeking general, aggravated and exemplary damages, an injunction to prevent further publication, the removal of the posts and a public apology.

The suit was filed yesterday through Messrs SN Nair & Partners.

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