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THE Kuala Lumpur High Court dismissed a defamation suit filed by Segambut Member of Parliament Hannah Yeoh against former Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan over remarks he made during a forum at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) four years ago.
Judicial commissioner Arziah Apandi said Yeoh had failed to prove her claim on a balance of probabilities. The court also awarded Musa costs of RM40,000.
Arziah said that the constitutional right to freedom of expression must be robustly protected, especially in matters of public interest and statements made during privileged occasions.
“This essential element is not established as most of the alleged defamatory content did not specifically refer to the plaintiff (Yeoh),” she said.
The court also took note that the forum, broadcast on Facebook Live, had an engagement rate of less than 1%.
“While responsible speech is important, public figures must expect and tolerate robust criticism and debate regarding their public statements and actions. For these reasons, the plaintiff’s claim is dismissed, with costs of RM40,000,” she said when delivering today’s decision via email.
Yeoh sued Musa in 2020 over his allegation that she had tried to turn Malaysia into a Christian nation.
Musa allegedly told the forum that an unnamed group had tried to destroy Islam in the country. He said there were links between the group and DAP. - December 23, 2024