Thanks to the ex-chief imam of the National Mosque, Taib Azamudden Md Taib, the nation and the world have been made to remember the many cases of immoral and womanising activities of some top Umno leaders.

However, according to a report on Agenda Daily today, parliamentary secretary to the Information Ministry Zainuddin Maidin, who was the first to challenge Taib, doubted if the sexual and anti-women scandals he mentioned were correct and true. It was certainly a challenge to the ex-chief imam's integrity.

According to common law, to mention publicly what has been confirmed by competent authorities or reported factually publicly in the past does not constitute libel or defamation, even if names are named. For example, it is a fact that a former menteri besar of Negeri Sembilan and Umno strongman Moktar Hashim was convicted of murder and jailed.

Taib should therefore have no fear of being sued for libel or defamation if he were to name those implicated. He has the duty and responsibility to protect the nation and society from morally undesirable elements from exercising public powers.

Perhaps, Taib is waiting for Umno president and Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad to issue the public challenge to him to tell the whole truth. Malaysia and the world are also waiting eagerly for the champion of morality in ex-deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim saga to do so.