SUNGAI Besar Umno chief Jamal Md Yunos has failed in his final bid to obtain leave to appeal against the decision which held him liable for defaming former Bersih 2.0 chairman Maria Chin Abdullah.

The Federal Court’s three-member panel chaired by Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat dismissed Jamal’s application, saying that the apex court is not with Jamal’s counsel V. Mugunthan’s argument for leave to appeal to be heard on its merits.

“This is a unanimous decision, whether this matter has merit for the arguments in the Federal Court. We (the bench) are not persuaded in granting leave to appeal.

“Hence, we dismissed the application with costs of RM30,000,” said Justice Tengku Maimun when delivering today’s decision via teleconferencing after hearing submissions from Mugunthan, representing Jamal, and counsel Dr Gurdial Singh Nijar, who acted for Chin.

The other judges on the panel were Federal Court judges Harmindar Singh Dhaliwal and Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah.

On March 8, the Court of Appeal dismissed Jamal’s appeal to set aside a High Court’s decision that held him liable for defaming Chin who is now Petaling Jaya MP.

The appellate court, however, allowed Jamal’s appeal to reduce the quantum of damages of RM300,000, which was previously awarded by the High Court to Chin, to RM150,000.

Chin sued Jamal for defamation, for linking her and Bersih 2.0 with the Daesh militant group.

In her suit filed on October 7, 2016, she claimed that Jamal had uttered slanderous words against her and Bersih, which were picked up and published by online, print and electronic media, during a press conference at Putra World Trade Centre on September 28, 2016, and later at the Bukit Aman Police headquarters on October 4, 2016. – Bernama, August 30, 2022.