Did the news portal owner verify facts before publishing?

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News Portal Owner Did Not Verify Facts Before Publishing Defamatory Article

Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob stated that the owner of the news portal Agenda Daily, Muhamad Izwan Mohd Zubit, failed in his duty to verify facts before publishing an article that allegedly defamed him. The article claimed the prime minister was begging for support, a statement Ismail Sabri deemed false and baseless, rendering the defence of justification and fair comment inapplicable.
Failure to Contact for Verification

Ismail Sabri's position, as reported in court documents, is that Muhamad Izwan did not contact him to verify the statement before its publication. The prime minister asserted that the article was published without such verification, leading to the defamatory claims.
Inapplicability of Defence

The defence of justification and fair comment, as put forward by Muhamad Izwan, was deemed inapplicable by Ismail Sabri. This is because the statement was considered false and without foundation, meaning the portal could not rely on these defences for publishing the content.
Allegations of Defamation and Public Interest Defence

The lawsuit stems from an article published in January by Agenda Daily with the headline, "Ismail Sabri concerned about being the PM with the shortest tenure, begs not to pull out support." In his defence, Muhamad Izwan reportedly claimed there was no malicious intent, that the portal practiced responsible journalism, and that the subject matter was of public interest.
Legal Proceedings Underway

Following the publication, Ismail Sabri filed a lawsuit on February 17. The High Court in Kuala Lumpur granted an ad-interim injunction against Muhamad Izwan on March 4. Case management for the suit has been scheduled for April 21, and the court is set to hear on April 27 whether to grant a full injunction to restrain Agenda Daily from repeating the allegations before the trial concludes.

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Did the news portal owner verify facts before publishing?

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