Maria Chin wins defamation suit against Red Shirts leader Jamal

Bede Hong Bede Hong Updated 7 years ago · Published on 31 Oct 2018 6:01PM · 3 Comments

Petaling Jaya MP Maria Chin Abdullah has won her defamation suit against Red Shirts leader Jamal Yunos, who had linked her with the terrorist group Islamic State. – The Malaysian Insight file pic, October 31, 2018.

PETALING Jaya MP and former Bersih 2.0 chairman Maria Chin Abdullah won a defamation suit today against Red Shirts leader Jamal Yunos.

Kuala Lumpur High Court judge Zaki Wahab ruled in favour of Maria, saying remarks by the Umno Sg Besar division chief linking her to the Islamic State militant group to be defamatory and that it had the effect of lowering her reputation.

The court ordered Jamal to pay Maria RM300,000 in damages and RM40,000 in costs, with interest of 8% from the date of filing in October 7, 2016.

“This is as much a victory for Bersih and the people, as it is for myself,” she said when contacted today.

“We have been accused of all kinds of things and we have also been continually harassed with gangsterism.

“Today’s judgement showed that a person cannot just make things up and say them without consequences and that violence is not acceptable in our society.”

Red Shirts leader Jamal Yunos (centre) has to pay Maria Chin Abdullah RM300,000 in damages and RM40,000 in costs for falsely linking the former Bersih 2.0 chairman with the Islamic State terror group. – The Malaysian Insight file pic, October 31, 2018.

Zaki ruled today that Jamal had failed to prove his defence of qualified privilege as there was no moral or legal duty to make the statement to the public.

Jamal’s second defence of fair comment failed to prove the facts to support it, he added.

Maria had sued Jamal for allegedly linking the electoral reform group with IS during a press conference on the premises of Umno’s headquarters at the Putra World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur on September 28, 2016.

He repeated the remarks at the Bukit Aman police headquarters the following month.

Seven witnesses were called in during the trial, including Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, PKR president-elect Anwar Ibrahim, activist Hishamuddin Rais and PKR’s Pasir Gudang MP Hassan Karim. – October 31, 2018.

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Comments

  • What is RM300K to Jamban after all he previously made a gala price of a Merc which cost more than RM300k which is peanuts to him. So since its just a small quantum to Jamban please pay to Maria soonest possible before you intend to make another attempt to run.

    Posted 7 years ago by Teruna Kelana · Reply

  • Take the money. No need for apology. Si Jamban is in this for the gravy from UMNO. Let him pay pay and pay some more. Just pokkai si jamban

    Posted 7 years ago by Kenneth Tan · Reply

  • Make sure he pay or bankrupt him.

    Posted 7 years ago by Adrian Tan · Reply