KUALA LUMPUR -- The High Court here fixed March 21 to hear the suit filed by Utusan Melayu (M) Berhad (UMMB) against Seputeh member of parliament Teresa Kok for allegedly making defamatory statements about the daily.

Deputy registrar Nor Azlin Othman fixed the date in chambers today when the case came up for mention.

In February 2009, UMMB served the writ of summon and statement of claims on Kok, whose real name is Teresa Kok Suh Sim, 47, for allegedly uttering defamatory statements about the newspaper.

In its statement of claims, UMMB said the alleged defamatory statements were made on Sept 22, 2008 when Kok claimed that the daily had distorted her statements to the national media and in her own blog about the food served to her while being detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA) in 2008.

The plaintiff, among other things, is seeking an order to remove defamatory articles, words, quotes or comments from the blog.

The plaintiff is also seeking an injunction to restrain Kok, whether by herself, her agents or servants from further publishing or causing to be published the defamatory words.

UMMB is seeking general, special, aggravated and punitive damages as well as costs and any reliefs deemed fit by the court. (Bernama)