KUALA LUMPUR: Umno Youth chief Datuk Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh is auctioning his Honda X-ADV motorcycle and farmed tilapia to raise RM300,000 to pay DAP veteran Teresa Kok after losing a defamation suit against her.
In a Facebook post, he said he had decided to sell the two assets after realising his savings were insufficient to cover the amount ordered by the court.
He said he appreciated suggestions from friends and supporters to set up a donation fund to help him pay the sum, but wanted to try raising the money himself first.
"I know every friend has a family, responsibilities and their own difficulties. As long as I still have my own assets that I can sell, let me try to raise the money myself first," he said.
Akmal said he respected the court's decision and was prepared to take responsibility for paying the RM300,000.
He said the Honda X-ADV and his farmed tilapia were the only two assets he had fully paid for and could sell, adding that he did not own land or a house that could be sold to raise the money.
He said serious bidders would have to pay a RM100 deposit and submit the payment receipt, along with details of the asset they wished to bid for and their offered price.
The deposit would be refunded in full if the bid was unsuccessful, he added.
Akmal said parting with the two assets would be difficult because they held sentimental value for him.
"It is difficult to part with something we love. However, it is harder for me to burden others when I still have my own assets that I can sell," he said.
He also thanked those who had offered prayers and words of encouragement, saying their support already meant a great deal to him.
"Do not feel guilty if you cannot buy or help. Your prayers and words of encouragement already mean so much to me," he said.
He also asked his supporters to pray for him to have the strength to part with the assets and fulfil his responsibility.
On Monday, the Melaka High Court ruled in favour of Kok in her defamation suit against Akmal, ordering him to pay RM250,000 in general and aggravated damages, along with RM50,000 in costs.
The suit concerned remarks Akmal made about Kok in a TikTok video in September 2024, following her criticism of a proposal to make halal certification mandatory for eateries that do not serve pork or alcohol.
The court also ordered Akmal to remove the video from his social media accounts within seven days and barred him from publishing or broadcasting the defamatory statements, or words to the same effect.
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