Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor has filed a defamation suit against comedian and actor Harith Iskander, alleging she was subjected to insults and body shaming during a stand-up comedy performance in Melaka earlier this year.
The lawsuit was filed at the High Court on June 9 through Messrs Hafarizam & Aisha Mubarak, naming Harith Iskander Musa, 60, as the defendant.
According to Rosmah’s statement of claim, Harith allegedly displayed an image of a mythical horror creature commonly associated with Malaysian folklore before showing her photograph during his Harith Iskander: The Outspoken Comedy Tour performance at a hotel on Jan 17.
She claimed the comedian then suggested that anyone looking into a rear-view mirror while driving on a dark road would see something frightening before displaying her image, which she alleged portrayed her as the frightening figure.
Rosmah argued the remarks implied she was more terrifying than the mythical creature, capable of instilling fear and worthy of ridicule, damaging her reputation as a public figure, the wife of Malaysia’s sixth prime minister and patron of various charitable organisations.
She is seeking general, aggravated and exemplary damages, an injunction to prevent further publication of the alleged defamatory remarks and a written apology to be published in two mainstream newspapers and on social media platforms approved by her or her lawyers.
In his defence filed on July 9, Harith denied that the performance portrayed Rosmah as a frightening, evil, ugly or inhuman figure, or carried any defamatory meaning as alleged. He also claimed the TikTok videos cited in the suit were uploaded without his knowledge or consent and did not reflect the full context of the comedy performance.
Lawyers representing both parties confirmed the suit, with the next case management scheduled to be held online on July 31.
