KUALA LUMPUR — Former 4As Malaysia chief executive Khairudin Rahim has filed a defamation suit against his former employer and its current CEO Andrew Lee, claiming that official statements issued earlier this year damaged his reputation in the advertising industry.
Khairudin’s lawyers filed the suit at the Shah Alam Sessions Court after the Association of Accredited Advertising Agents Malaysia (4As) and Lee allegedly failed to retract or apologise for remarks contained in a May 30 press release and a June 16 memo circulated to member agencies.
He contends that the publications falsely suggested he had refused to continue his tenure as CEO despite being paid until June 2024, and that he misrepresented the process of his own appointment in 2015.
“These statements are false, misleading and defamatory, and they have caused significant harm to my credibility and reputation within the advertising industry,” Khairudin said in a statement. “I am firmly resolved to do what it takes to set the record straight.”
Through a letter of demand issued on July 17, Khairudin had asked 4As and Lee to issue a public apology, remove the documents from circulation, and offer compensation.
He maintains that documentary evidence and testimony from former council members disprove the claims made.
But with the statements still available on the association’s website and in circulation, Khairudin said he had no choice but to take legal action.
“This is about defending my honour and unblemished professional reputation earned over the past 50 years,” he said. — October 1, 2025