New Straits Times Press Bhd deputy chairperson Kalimullah Hassan may face an injunction and a RM100 million counter-claim from Matthias Chang, the former political aide to ex-premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

At an hour-long press conference in Kuala Lumpur at noon, Chang said his lawyers will filed an application for an injunction against Kalimullah to stop the latter from making defamatory statements about him.

This came on the heels of Kalimullah's move to file an ex-parte injunction to restrain Chang from further defaming him, after the latter's purported comments at a press conference on June 13.

Kalimullah had sent Chang a letter of demand on June 20, seeking a full apology for "a series of personal attacks" allegedly made against him that day.

When Chang did not respond, he filed a RM50 million defamation suit and obtained an interim injunction against him yesterday, according to the New Straits Times today.

The Kuala Lumpur High Court has fixed July 25 to hear the respective injunction applications by Kalimullah and Chang.

"I will file an affidavit and application to set aside (the interim) injunction," said Chang, who is a lawyer by training.

Asked how he would respond to the defamation suit, he said he would prepare his defence and file a counter-claim of RM100 million against Kalimullah within 21 days as stated by law.

"I was preparing a defamation case against him, but he was one step faster in filing a suit against me. Therefore, I will have to change (the structure) to a defence and counter-claim," Chang said.

"I will have a meeting (with the lawyers) to fine-tune the defence and counter-claim. Then, we will file and serve the documents (on Kalimullah)."

Chang's intended suit was originally in reference to allegedly defamatory remarks against him in Kalimullah's column in the New Straits Times of June 25, 2006.

'Personal capacity'

Asked whether he is involved in "a proxy war" as Kalimullah has claimed, Chang stressed that he has always been speaking in his own capacity as "a concerned citizen" and that there is no proxy war.

"I don't think it is proper or accurate to see me as a proxy or spokesperson for anyone or any organisation, (...) I am very independent, and I speak without fear or favour ," he said.

"This is not about a personal feud between two individuals, but involves larger issues which concern the public interest. Once the case goes to court, the truth will be revealed."

Since mid-April, Chang has publicly supported Mahathir in seeking explanations from premier Abdullah Ahmad Badawi over the cancellation of the half-bridge project to Singapore, issuance of Approved Permits for car imports and 'fire sale' of motorcycle company MV Agusta Motors.

Chang added to this on June 13 by questioning how Abdullah's son-in-law Khairy Jamaluddin had raised RM9.2 million to acquire a three percent stake in boutique investment house ECM Libra Bhd.