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KUALA LUMPUR – Former primary industries minister Teresa Kok Suh Kim was today awarded RM300,000 in damages after winning a defamation suit against Sg Besar Umno division leader Datuk Seri Jamal Md Yunos over the alleged misuse of Yayasan Warisan Anak Selangor (Yawas) funds.
This followed judicial commissioner Datuk Mohd Arief Emran Arifin’s decision to allow the suit by Kok.
He also ordered Jamal to pay costs of RM50,000 to Kok within 14 days from today.
Jamal was, however, not in court today.
Kok’s counsel Datuk S.N. Nair, when met by reporters after the proceedings, said the court ordered Jamal to pay the “global sum” of RM300,000 in damages, which covered general, aggravated and exemplary damages.
The Seputeh MP filed the suit on April 6, 2017, over an allegedly defamatory statement by Jamal pertaining to Yawas funds during a news conference on March 8, 2017.
In her statement of claim, she said the statement was published by both the print and electronic media, as well as on Jamal’s Facebook page.
She claimed that the statement, among others, gave the impression that she had misused state government funds for herself and was an unethical person.
She had sought RM1 million in general damages, compensatory damages, aggravated damages and exemplary damages, and an injunction to prevent Jamal from further making such claims in the media. – Bernama, July 26, 2022