Now call me naïve, but the way I see it, when a court sentences you to pay damages worth millions to another person, that’s not a souvenir — that’s a punishment.
It’s the court’s polite way of saying, “What you did was wrong, don’t do it again, and please empty your wallet on the way out.” The judgment isn’t meant to be a fundraiser or a campaign launch. It’s meant to sting.
But in Malaysia, that sting doesn’t last very long. Because we’ve discovered a new and improved justice system: Crowdfunding Court Fines™ — where getting punished makes you more popular, and the public pays your price for being “brave.”
Take the case of our modern Robin Hood, Lim Lip Eng. The Kepong MP was found guilty of defaming MonSpace CEO Jessy Lai — a businesswoman he accused of running an illegal business. The High Court told him to pay RM2 million in damages. The Court of Appeal later reduced it to RM75,000, but by then, Malaysians had already raised RM2.2 million to help him out.
Now, any ordinary mortal would take that as a moment of shame or reflection. But Lim? He threw a luncheon at The Ming Room and donated RM200,000 of the public’s donations to the Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) Education Foundation, fulfilling his pledge to “give back.”
The event was graced by DAP secretary-general Loke Siew Fook, who praised Lim for being trustworthy and transparent. Imagine that — a man found guilty of defamation being celebrated as a paragon of trustworthiness. It’s like congratulating someone for being an honest pickpocket because they returned your phone after taking your wallet.
In Malaysia, if you lose a court case, don’t worry — you can still win in public opinion.
Just ask P. Ramasamy. The former Penang deputy chief minister was ordered by the High Court to pay damages to Dr Zakir Naik for calling him names — one of which was, allegedly, “Satan.” Most people would have quietly appealed. Ramasamy instead raised RM1.52 million from his supporters. He called it a “fantastic effort” and even described it as “the best Deepavali present.”
Meanwhile, Zakir Naik, not to be outdone in the virtue department, announced that he’d donate the money to Palestine. So the court punished one man for defamation, and somehow, it turned into a charity drive for the Middle East. At this point, the Malaysian judiciary might as well start issuing receipts for tax deductions.
And on the other side of the political aisle, we have PAS’s Kepala Batas MP Siti Mastura Muhammad, who was found by the Penang High Court to have defamed Lim Kit Siang, Lim Guan Eng, and Teresa Kok by linking them to Chin Peng and Lee Kuan Yew. The court ordered her to pay RM825,000 in damages and costs, and she dutifully complied while filing an appeal.
Naturally, her supporters cried foul — not because she defamed anyone, but because in Malaysia, “defamation” just means “saying something my side agrees with.” To them, she isn’t guilty — she’s persecuted.
You see the pattern, don’t you?
Across the political spectrum, from Lim Lip Eng to Ramasamy to Siti Mastura, being found guilty by the courts has become the new benchmark of credibility. Court fines are no longer punishments — they’re badges of honour, proof that you “stood up to the system.”
It’s almost poetic: the judiciary sentences, the public fundraises, and the convicted smiles for the cameras. Everyone wins — except, of course, the concept of justice.
This bizarre ritual has turned the relationship between the people and the courts upside down. The court says, “You’re wrong.” The people reply, “No, you’re just jealous,” and then hand the offender a cheque. It’s like a parent grounding a child for bad behaviour, only for the neighbours to come over with cake and say, “Don’t worry, we love you just the way you are.”
And the cherry on top? The guilty parties walk away richer, more popular, and more “respected” than before. Lim Lip Eng gets called a philanthropist. Ramasamy becomes a freedom fighter. Siti Mastura a martyr.
Somewhere, the judges must be wondering whether they should start including donation links in their verdicts.
If this is what “justice” looks like now, then I suppose the next election slogan writes itself:
“Vote for me — I’ve been found guilty, but the people paid!”
Because in Malaysia’s moral economy, innocence is boring. Guilt, on the other hand, comes with free publicity, sympathetic donors, and maybe even a scholarship fund named after you.
The message, unfortunately, is clear: if you want to be a hero, first get fined.
After all, nothing says “man of the people” quite like a court order and a GoFundMe page.
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