The mediation process involving parties in the suit brought by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Abdul Rahman Dahlan against news portal Malaysiakini and its reporter Geraldine Tong has been fixed on Nov 28.

Lawyer K Shanmuga, representing Malaysiakini and Tong, when contacted said the High Court also set Nov 29 for further case management.

Abdul Rahman filed the suit on Jan 13 this year when he was urban wellbeing, housing and local government minister. It was over an article and video clip posted by the news portal.

Abdul Rahman, who is an Umno supreme council member and MP for Kota Belud, claimed that the article and a video clip published by Malaysiakini and Tong without his permission did not reflect the original content of his message and that it was edited to portray him as having instructed the urban population to return to the villages.

In his statement of claim, Abdul Rahman claimed that on Nov 6, 2015, the defendants had, with levity and malice, published or caused to be published on the www.malaysiakini.com website slanderous and false statements referring to him under the title "Minister's 'go back to kampung' notion draws contempt".

He claimed that the defamatory statements, among others, implied that he had no care for the plight of the people due to the rising cost of living, did not encourage the people to seek income in the urban centres and was insensitive to the current issues that had an impact on society.

Abdul Rahman is claiming general damages, aggravated and exemplary damages, costs, interest and other relief deemed fit by the court.

- Bernama