Bernama
KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court here today fixed Nov 24 to hear an application by two lawyers to discharge themselves from representing comedian and actor Harith Iskander in a defamation suit filed by Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor.
“Yes, we have applied to discharge ourselves from representing (Harith Iskander),” lawyer Sangeet Kaur Deo said when contacted.
She and co-counsel Harkiranjit Kaur Manjit Singh attended online case management proceedings before judge Arziah Mohamed Apandi today, alongside Rosmah’s lawyers, Mohamed Baharudeen Mohamed Ariff and Nur-Diana Ezlyn Hashim.
Baharudeen said the Nov 24 hearing will be conducted online via Zoom at 2.15pm.
Rosmah, 74, filed the defamation suit through Messrs Hafarizam & Aisha Mubarak against Harith Iskander Musa, 60, on June 9, claiming he insulted and body-shamed her during his stand-up comedy show, Harith Iskander: The Outspoken Comedy Tour, at a hotel in Melaka on Jan 17.
In her statement of claim, the former prime minister’s wife alleged that Harith Iskander showed an image of frightening mythical creatures before displaying her photograph, followed by remarks mocking the idea of looking in the rear-view mirror while driving along a dark road.
She claimed a TikTok user uploaded a recording of the performance, which garnered hundreds of thousands of views and damaged her reputation and dignity as a public figure and patron of charitable organisations.
Rosmah is seeking general, aggravated and exemplary damages, an injunction to prevent the statements from being republished, and a written apology in two mainstream newspapers and on social media accounts.
In his statement of defence filed on July 9, Harith Iskander denied that the image was defamatory, saying the TikTok clip was published without his knowledge or consent and did not reflect the full context of the performance.