RM300k damages: Akmal auctioning scooter, tilapia to pay Teresa

Umno Youth chief Akmal Saleh has opted to auction off some of his “beloved assets” to pay the RM300,000 he now owes Teresa Kok after losing a defamation suit initiated by the DAP lawmaker.

Akmal, the incumbent Merlimau assemblyperson, said that while some have suggested setting up a donation drive to raise the funds he requires, he prefers to make an effort on his own first.

The two items Akmal has put up for sale are...

Umno Youth chief Akmal Saleh has opted to auction off some of his “beloved assets” to pay the RM300,000 he now owes Teresa Kok after losing a defamation suit initiated by the DAP lawmaker.

Akmal, the incumbent Merlimau assemblyperson, said that while some have suggested setting up a donation drive to raise the funds he requires, he prefers to make an effort on his own first.

The two items Akmal has put up for sale are his Honda X-ADV maxi-scooter and his farmed tilapia fish.

“I do not have land or a house that can be sold to make up this amount. Both (items) have their own stories (on) hard work and happiness for me.

“That is why, even writing that I want to sell them feels heavy. However, my heart would be heavier if I am forced to burden others while there are still things I can do on my own,” Akmal said in a lengthy Facebook post today.

The Honda X-ADV 750 that Akmal wants to sell is often sighted with him during his constituency visits. For the record, the market price of the maxi-scooter is around RM70,000.

Akmal has also been spotted riding a bigger motorcycle, a BMW GSA 1300 model, which has a market price of around RM150,000.

Akmal noted today that both the Honda vehicle and the fish are his assets that have been fully paid off.

'Pray for me'

In the social media post, which featured an image of him sitting forlornly by an earthen pond to the tune of Batas Senja’s "Kita Usahakan Lagi", Akmal added that serious bidders can deposit RM100 into his account before sharing the receipt with him along with their offer for the items.

Besides attaching his Maybank bank account details and a phone number, Akmal assured that if the bid is unsuccessful, he will fully refund the RM100 deposit.

“To friends who have prayed for me, thank you - do not feel guilty if you cannot buy or help. Your prayers and words of encouragement are already meaningful enough for me.

“Pray that I am given the strength to let go of what I love, so that I can resolve this responsibility,” he said.

On Monday, the Malacca High Court ordered Akmal to pay Kok RM300,000 in damages and legal costs after ruling in her favour in a defamation suit over a social media dispute concerning the government’s halal certification requirement for businesses.

The High Court also ordered Akmal to remove the impugned statements from social media, and barred him from making further defamatory statements against the Seputeh MP.

The suit stemmed from Akmal’s labelling of Kok as an “old Nyonya”, among others, after she criticised the government’s proposal to make halal certification mandatory for restaurants and food companies that do not serve pork and alcohol.

Hours after the court’s verdict, Akmal posted a brief and cryptic Facebook post vowing to not back down from those in power.

READ MORE: 'Manners maketh man': Judicial commissioner's pointed reminder to Akmal