Kepong Member of Parliament (MP) Lim Lip Eng has been granted a stay of execution over the RM2 million judgement in a defamation suit brought against him by MonSpace (M) Sdn Bhd and its founder Datuk Seri Jessy Lai.
KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 29): Kepong Member of Parliament (MP) Lim Lip Eng has been granted a stay of execution over the RM2 million judgement in a defamation suit brought against him by MonSpace (M) Sdn Bhd and its founder Datuk Seri Jessy Lai.
This follows parties agreeing to a consent order which was recorded at the appellate court on Wednesday, before a three-member panel led by Court of Appeal (COA) judge Datuk Seri Kamaludin Md Said.
Part of the order was for the DAP leader to deposit the sum into a fixed deposit account held under Messrs AJ Ariffin, Yeo & Harpal — the law firm representing MonSpace and Lai in this case — as stakeholders. The monies will be held until the appeal’s disposal.
The parties also recorded a consent order allowing Lim an extension of time over the filing of his appeal notice.
COA judges Datuk Hashim Hamzah and Datuk Wong Kian Kheong were also part of the panel on Wednesday.
Lim was represented by SN Nair and Phoon Wai Ken, while Datuk Harpal Singh Grewal, Ivanpal Singh Grewal, Pang Li Wei and Siew Yen Mee appeared for the e-commerce firm (MonSpace (M) Sdn Bhd) and its founder.
Damages awarded at High Court one of the largest for defamation
In March this year, High Court judge Datuk Akhtar Tahir ordered Lim to pay RM1 million in damages to the company and another RM500,000 to Lai, after finding that Lim’s statement had tarnished the reputations of Lai and the company.
Besides this, the court also ordered Lim to pay RM500,000 in total of aggravated damages to the company and Lai. In addition, Akhtar ordered Lim to pay costs of RM250,000.
The sum is one of the largest awarded for defamation.
The politician was also ordered to publish an apology to be advertised in newspapers and various social media platforms.
Lim has subsequently crowdfunded about RM2.25 million, which was held by his lawyers.
The High Court had also dismissed Lim’s stay, on grounds that there were no special circumstances to suspend the judgement.
MonSpace and Lai filed the defamation suit in 2019, after Lim allegedly made multiple statements, including when he and several Chinese nationals visited the company headquarters in Bukit Jalil on May 23, 2017.
In the suit, Lai was seeking general and aggravated damages for purported 15 defamatory remarks made by the politician through five publications between 2017 and 2018.
In the statement of claim, both Lai and the company alleged that Lim’s statement connoted that they were running an illegal business, had cheated Chinese investors and implied that Lai was a dishonest person.
Lai further claimed that the MP’s statements had pressured the authorities, including the police, Bank Negara Malaysia and the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry, to take action against her.
In 2021, it was reported that the High Court had allowed the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) to forfeit RM1.5 million from Lai under the Anti Money Laundering, Anti Terrorism Financing and Proceeds from Unlawful Activity 2001 (AMLA).