THE High Court in Melaka today ordered UMNO Youth Chief Datuk Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh to pay RM250,000 in damages and RM50,000 in costs to Seputeh Member of Parliament Teresa Kok, in relation to a defamation suit concerning a statement uploaded to social media.
The allegedly defamatory remarks were made in a video posted by Dr Muhamad Akmal on the TikTok platform on September 7, 2024.
Muhamad Akmal was not present in court today when Judge Datuk Isa Aziz Ibrahim delivered the ruling on the case.
In his judgment, the judge stated that the court found the statements made by the defendant in the video were defamatory toward the plaintiff and went beyond the bounds of legitimate criticism regarding public policy.
He stated that the defendant failed to substantiate the defences of fair comment and qualified privilege raised to justify the statements in question.
According to him, the court took into account the defendant’s admission that the video was recorded while he was in a state of anger and was intended to launch a personal attack against the plaintiff.
“The court finds that the video contains serious defamatory elements, as it portrays the plaintiff as an individual who consistently undermines the nation’s harmony,” he said.
In addition to ordering the payment of RM250,000 in total damages and RM50,000 in costs, the court also issued a permanent injunction restraining the defendant from republishing the same defamatory statements or any statements conveying a similar meaning.
The court further ordered the defendant to remove the video from all his social media accounts within seven days from the date of the order.
Teresa was represented by lawyer Datuk Sankara Nair, while Muhamad Akmal was represented by lawyer Syahrul Syazwan Salehin. – October 19, 2026