KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 19): The Melaka High Court has found Umno Youth chief Datuk Dr Muhammad Akmal Salleh to have defamed DAP leader Teresa Kok over their halal certification row.
Judicial Commissioner Isa Aziz Ibrahim also ordered Akmal to pay RM250,000 in general and aggravated damages.
The Umno politician, who is also a Melaka state executive council member and Merlimau assemblyman, has also been ordered to pay RM50,000 costs.
Besides this, Isa also issued an injunction on Akmal to restrain him from making similar defamatory statements, along with an injunction restraining him, whether personally or through his agents, servants, and associates, from further uttering, writing, publishing, or distributing the impugned words, or words to the same or similar effect, against Kok.
The court also ordered for the removal of the defamatory statements from Akmal’s social media accounts.
The outcome was confirmed by Kok’s lawyer Datuk N Sankara Nair.
Sankara said the decision marks an important vindication of Kok’s reputation and underscores the importance of accountability for defamatory statements, particularly those disseminated publicly and through social media.
Kok welcomed the High Court’s decision and considered the outcome as an important step towards protecting her reputation and holding individuals accountable for defamatory publications.
“Public discourse, including debate on matters of public interest, must be conducted responsibly. The freedom to express opinions does not absolve anyone of the legal consequences of publishing defamatory statements about another person.
“I hope that this outcome serves as a reminder that the right to reputation is protected by law, and that social media must not be used as a platform to spread statements that unlawfully damage another person’s standing and dignity,” she said in a statement.
Akmal was represented by Syahrul Syazwan Salehin of Messrs Fahri Azzat & Co.
Suit filed over Akmal’s remarks
Kok, a DAP vice-chairperson, had filed the defamation suit against Akmal following his remarks against her amid disagreements over Malaysia’s halal certification.
She issued a letter of demand against Akmal to withdraw the remarks and apologise, prompting the Akmal to say “see you in court”.
In the writ of summons, Kok said that Akmal’s comments were “slanderous, libellous, untrue, baseless, malicious, and driven by a racist tone”.
In the suit, Teresa claimed Akmal defamed her through remarks published in two articles, one titled Akmal: Saya minta kerajaan sediakan logo non-halal, tampal pada dahi Teresa and another with the headline Umno youth chief swipes at “old Nyonya” Teresa over halal cert, which were published online.
The Seputeh MP was seeking general, compensatory, aggravated, and exemplary damages from the Umno leader.