In a three-­paged letter of demand, Pahang Menteri Besar and Umno Supreme Council member Adnan Yaakob complained Malay daily Utusan Malaysia   had acted in “retaliatory malice” following his comments regarding the Cameron Highlands degradation problems, which was published in the daily and its weekend edition Mingguan Malaysia.

Adnan has given Umno owned daily Utusan Malaysia , 14 days from Nov 18 to apologise or be slapped with a RM15 million libel suit.

The letter of demand, from Adnan’s lawyer Manjeet Singh Dhillon, was sighted by Malaysiakini .

The comments made by the daily were published in the Awang Selamat's column “Hebat Sangatkah Adnan” (Is Adnan that great).

The article, Adnan complained, had brought him adverse imputations resulting in public odium, ridicule and hate.

He complained that the words in the article meant that he lacks integrity, is an MB who failed in his duties, a maligner who has overstayed his position as MB, an MB who outlived his usefulness, and a person who is brash, arrogant and rejects any form of criticism.

Adnan also said that the article meant that he is a person who uses his political position to abuse the media, an MB who who has generally a bad behaviour and a liability to the political party he belonged to, an MB who has done very little to improve his state and an MB who is unpopular in Pahang.

Following that, Adnan is seeking an apology which is to be published prominently on the front page, an undertaking not to repeat the same words and remove the said article online, RM15 million in damages as compensation and costs of RM15,000 at this point of time.

The Utusan article had questioned Adnan for being the longest term MB who had held the post since 1999 replacing Mohd Khalil Yaakob.

The letter comes in as Umno is set to have its party general assembly on Nov 25 to 28.

Counsel absent, Utusan told to pay RM1,000 costs