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By Mihar Dias February 2026
In Malaysian politics we have auctioned many things over the years — principles, loyalties, manifestos, and occasionally entire coalitions. But last week, Datuk Seri Jamal Yunos raised the bar (or perhaps lowered it to floor level) by auctioning something far more personal: a pair of his slippers. https://newswav.com/A2602_Qc159d?s=A_jEaQ2bA&language=en Yes, slippers. The humble, democratic footwear of the rakyat. The same kind worn to mamak stalls, wet markets, and sometimes even Parliament corridors after long debates about the cost of living.
This was no ordinary garage sale. The Sungai Besar UMNO chief was trying to raise RM66,061 to settle outstanding legal costs from a defamation suit filed years ago by Seputeh MP Teresa Kok — a case he lost decisively. https://newswav.com/A2602_Qc159d?s=A_jEaQ2bA&language=en
Alongside the slippers were other household treasures: a toothbrush, a hammer, and a white plastic water dipper. One imagines the auction catalogue reading like a minimalist lifestyle guide: “Essential items for rebuilding your reputation.”
It would be easy — too easy — to laugh cruelly at such a spectacle. But the truth is, there is something quietly tragic here. Jamal is reportedly undergoing cancer treatment. Legal battles are exhausting even when one is healthy; when illness enters the picture, they become doubly burdensome.
So this episode is not merely a political circus. It is also a cautionary tale — one that should make every politician, activist, and yes, writer, sit up straighter in their chairs.
Because the real story is not about slippers. It is about words.
The lawsuit itself goes back to 2017, when Jamal accused Teresa Kok of misappropriating funds from a Selangor foundation. The court later ruled those statements defamatory, awarding damages and costs while ordering him not to repeat the allegations. https://newswav.com/A2602_Qc159d?s=A_jEaQ2bA&language=en
Years later, unpaid costs have finally caught up with him in the most public, humiliating way possible.
And therein lies the lesson: in the age of microphones, livestreams, and Facebook posts typed faster than they are thought through, words are no longer just words. They are legal liabilities waiting patiently in the wings.
Politicians often speak as if they enjoy parliamentary immunity everywhere — at press conferences, rallies, or roadside interviews. They mistake loudness for evidence and confidence for proof. Unfortunately, courts operate on a different principle: facts matter, and reputations are protected assets.
The law, unlike politics, does not care how passionately you shout.
Writers are not exempt either. Those of us who trade in opinion know this all too well. A columnist may wield sarcasm like a chef wields a knife — with skill, one can slice neatly through hypocrisy; with carelessness, one may cut oneself badly.
That is why seasoned commentators develop a survival instinct: verify, qualify, and when in doubt, phrase things so cautiously that even a lawyer would nod approvingly. It may not always make for dramatic headlines, but it prevents one’s own slippers from ever becoming auction items.
The irony, of course, is fabulous. Politicians often use footwear as symbols — throwing shoes in protest, waving them in rallies, or invoking them in colourful metaphors. Now here we have slippers serving as literal currency to settle the cost of spoken accusations.
If anything, the episode reminds us that defamation is one of the few political issues that transcends party lines. Today it may be an opposition figure suing a government politician; tomorrow the roles could easily reverse. Reputation, like glass, shatters the same way regardless of ideology.
Perhaps the final lesson is this: in public life, words are like arrows. Once released, they cannot be retrieved — only accounted for.
And sometimes, when they miss their target and hit someone unjustly, the bill comes due.
Occasionally, that bill is paid in cash.
And occasionally — rather poignously — in slippers.
Mihar Dias (mihardias@gmail.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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