KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 19 (Bernama) -- Veteran singer Datuk Sharifah Aini's defamation suit against Utusan Melayu (Malaysia) Berhad, its former group editor-in-chief and entertainment reporter will be heard in court next month after five years.

Kuala Lumpur High Court deputy registrar Nazri Ismail fixed Dec 7 and 8 for the hearing after the case was mentioned before him in chambers.

Sharifah Aini had on April 27, 2004, filed the suit against Utusan, the then group editor-in-chief Datuk Khalid Mohamad and entertainment reporter Ku Seman Ku Hussain over an article in Mingguan Malaysia dated March 31, 2004.

The singer claimed that the defendants had falsely and maliciously published in the newspaper's 'Cubit Manja' section an article titled "SMS dan umang-umang" which defamed her and tarnished her reputation.

She is asking the court to order the defendants to pay her general, punitive and exemplary damages for libel and an injunction to restrain the defendants from writing or publishing similar statements about her.

In their statement of defence filed on June 18, 2004, the three defendants denied that the article was intended to defame the plaintiff but was a fair comment on a matter of public interest and on her actions and attitude as an artiste.