MELAKA: DAP veteran Teresa Kok has won her defamation suit against Datuk Dr Muhamad Akmal Salleh, with the High Court awarding her RM250,000 in general and aggravated damages.
Kok's lawyer, Datuk Sankara Nair, said in a statement that judge Isa Aziz Ibrahim had also granted an injunction restraining the Umno Youth chief from making further defamatory statements against her.
The court also ordered the removal of the impugned statements from all social media platforms, he said.
In addition, Akmal was also ordered to pay Kok RM50,000 in legal costs.
Sankara said Kok, who is the Seputeh member of Parliament and DAP vice-chairman, welcomed the court's decision.
"She regards the outcome as an important step towards protecting her reputation and holding individuals accountable for defamatory publications.
"Public discourse, including debate on matters of public interest, must be conducted responsibly.
"The freedom to express opinions does not absolve anyone of the legal consequences of publishing defamatory statements about another person," he said.
He said Kok hoped the outcome would serve as a reminder that the right to reputation was protected by law.
"She said social media must not be used as a platform to spread statements that unlawfully damage another person's standing and dignity," he said.
In 2024, Kok filed a defamation suit against Akmal over his alleged defamatory remarks about her in relation to the country's halal certification issue.
She claimed Akmal had defamed her in two articles published on a news portal, titled "Akmal: Saya Minta Kerajaan Sediakan Logo Non-Halal, Tampal Pada Dahi Teresa" and "UMNO Youth Chief swipes at 'old Nyonya' Teresa over halal cert".
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