Actor Datuk AC Mizal and his wife are suing a publisher, three others for RM25mil in damages for portraying them as negligent employers. (VIDEO)

We're not horrible bosses, actor and wife say in RM25mil suit\
THE STAR



AC Mizal (left) and Emylia.

KUALA LUMPUR: Actor Datuk AC Mizal and his wife are suing a publisher and three others for RM25mil in damages for portraying them as negligent employers.

The actor, who is noted for his versatile roles in movies, said entertainment reporter Syed Musaddad Syed Mahdi had on Aug 23 last year caused publication of defamatory words about them in Mingguan Malaysia's Pancaindera pullout.

The 44-year-old actor, whose real name is Mizal Zaini, filed the civil claim together with his wife Datin Emylia Rosnaida Abdul Hamid, private Internet radio broadcasting company Peace Yall Sdn Bhd and its chief executive officer Rashidi Ishak.

AC Mizal is also Peace Yall president while his model wife is vice-president.



They named Syed Musaddad, who writes under the Gebang Syed column in Pancaindera, then Mingguan Malaysia editor Ku Seman Ku Hussein, its publisher Utusan Melayu (M) Bhd and its editor-in-chief Datuk Abdul Aziz Ishak as defendants.

The plaintiffs' lawyer Shahrir Baharuddin told reporters after the parties met the judge in chambers Monday that High Court judge Justice Abu Bakar Jais had directed them to go for a mediation to resolve the civil dispute.

The defendants' lawyer Ooi She Yi said they also had to update the judge Tuesday over the mediation process.

The suit filed on March 30 was made available to the media Monday.

In the statement of claim, the four plaintiffs said Syed Musaddad's article had implied that Mizal or Rashidi had debts and that they did not have capability to pay the salary of their employees in Peace Yall FM.

As a result, they said they suffered losses in terms of reputation, business and entertainment value.

They said the defendants had failed to meet their demand for an apology and damages, causing them to initiate the legal action.

They are asking for RM15mil in general damages for libel, RM10mil in aggravated damages, costs and a restraining order to stop the defendants from repeating the libellous words against them.

AC Mizal has acted in various films, including Gerak Khas The Movie (2001), Buli (2004), Baik Punya Cilok (2005), Cicak-Man (2006), Cicak Man 2 (2008) and My Spy (2009). He is also a TV host, a singer and a businessman.