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MELAKA – Umno Youth chief Datuk Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh has ruled out stepping down after the Melaka High Court ordered him to pay RM300,000 to Seputeh MP Teresa Kok in a defamation suit.
In a Facebook post published hours after the ruling on Monday, Akmal appeared defiant, saying he would not step down.
“This is your time in power. Do whatever you wish to do.
“As for me stepping down, absolutely not. Happy campaigning,” he wrote.
The court ordered Akmal to pay RM250,000 in damages and RM50,000 in legal costs to Kok.
The suit stemmed from a TikTok video Akmal posted on Sept 7, 2024, in which Kok alleged that he had made derogatory and disparaging remarks against her.
Kok claimed the remarks portrayed her as lacking knowledge of halal certification and opposing government policies concerning Islamic practices.
She filed the suit on Oct 25, 2024, naming Akmal, who is also the Merlimau state assemblyman, as the sole defendant.
Akmal was absent when the court delivered its decision on Monday.
Kok was represented by lawyer Datuk Sankara Nair, while Akmal was represented by lawyer Syahrul Syazwan Salehin.
The court also ordered Akmal to remove the statements from his social media accounts within seven days and barred him from repeating the defamatory remarks or making similar statements against Kok.
The ruling comes ahead of the Melaka state election scheduled for Nov 14.
