FMT:
Hannah Yeoh wins defamation suit against UUM lecturer
2 hours ago
Faisal Asyraf
Court orders Kamarul Zaman Yusoff to pay RM400,000 in damages
Segambut MP Hannah Yeoh after winning her lawsuit against Universiti Utara Malaysia lecturer Kamarul Zaman Yusoff at the Kuala Lumpur High Court today.
KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court has ordered Universiti Utara Malaysia lecturer Kamarul Zaman Yusoff to pay Segambut MP Hannah Yeoh RM400,000 in damages for defaming her in two Facebook posts published in 2017.
Justice Aliza Sulaiman awarded RM200,000 as general and aggravated damages for each defamatory post. The court also ordered Kamarul to pay RM80,000 in legal costs.
However, the judge rejected Yeoh’s request for a public apology, saying “any apology would not be sincere”.
It is understood that Kamarul, who was not present during the court proceeding, intends to appeal the decision.
In her ruling, Aliza said Kamarul’s argument that Yeoh lacked locus standi to file the suit had no merit. She added that she was satisfied the plaintiff had met the burden of proof on a balance of probabilities.
“I am satisfied that the plaintiff has proven, on a balance of probabilities, that the first and second publications are defamatory as they suggest that she is a threat to Islam and used her position to ‘Christianise’ the country.
“In a multiracial and multi-religious nation where religion is a highly sensitive issue, such statements would undoubtedly expose the plaintiff to hatred, ridicule and contempt.”
Aliza also ruled that the defendant failed to establish the defences of justification, fair comment, and qualified privilege.
“Even if the defences of fair comment and qualified privilege were established, the plaintiff had provided particulars of malice in her reply to the defence, and in my view, has proven on the balance of probabilities that the defendant acted with malice,” she added.
Yeoh, who is the youth and sports minister, filed the lawsuit in 2022 over the Facebook posts by Kamarul.
One was an article titled “Hannah Yeoh contoh hipokrasi terbesar DAP di Malaysia” (Hannah Yeoh, the biggest example of DAP hypocrisy in Malaysia), and the other was a police report which he lodged against her and later shared online.
Yeoh claimed that Kamarul, in both documents, accused her of “proselytising Christianity through her politics”, promoting a “Christian agenda”, and intending to “convert Malaysia into a Christian country”.
She asserted that the statements were offensive, untrue, and a malicious attempt to damage her reputation.
Justice Aliza Sulaiman awarded RM200,000 as general and aggravated damages for each defamatory post. The court also ordered Kamarul to pay RM80,000 in legal costs.
However, the judge rejected Yeoh’s request for a public apology, saying “any apology would not be sincere”.
It is understood that Kamarul, who was not present during the court proceeding, intends to appeal the decision.
In her ruling, Aliza said Kamarul’s argument that Yeoh lacked locus standi to file the suit had no merit. She added that she was satisfied the plaintiff had met the burden of proof on a balance of probabilities.
“I am satisfied that the plaintiff has proven, on a balance of probabilities, that the first and second publications are defamatory as they suggest that she is a threat to Islam and used her position to ‘Christianise’ the country.
“In a multiracial and multi-religious nation where religion is a highly sensitive issue, such statements would undoubtedly expose the plaintiff to hatred, ridicule and contempt.”
Aliza also ruled that the defendant failed to establish the defences of justification, fair comment, and qualified privilege.
“Even if the defences of fair comment and qualified privilege were established, the plaintiff had provided particulars of malice in her reply to the defence, and in my view, has proven on the balance of probabilities that the defendant acted with malice,” she added.
Yeoh, who is the youth and sports minister, filed the lawsuit in 2022 over the Facebook posts by Kamarul.
One was an article titled “Hannah Yeoh contoh hipokrasi terbesar DAP di Malaysia” (Hannah Yeoh, the biggest example of DAP hypocrisy in Malaysia), and the other was a police report which he lodged against her and later shared online.
Yeoh claimed that Kamarul, in both documents, accused her of “proselytising Christianity through her politics”, promoting a “Christian agenda”, and intending to “convert Malaysia into a Christian country”.
She asserted that the statements were offensive, untrue, and a malicious attempt to damage her reputation.
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