THE High Court today dismissed an application by Sungai Besar Umno chief Jamal Md Yunos to stay the execution for a judgment of RM300,000 in damages to former primary industries minister Teresa Kok Suh Kim over the alleged misuse of Yayasan Warisan Anak Selangor (Yawas) funds last year. 

Kok’s counsel, S. N. Nair, said Judicial Commissioner Mohd Arief Emran Arifin dismissed Jamal’s application with costs of RM3,000 to be paid to his client. 

In an online proceeding today, he said the court dismissed the application because there were no special circumstances to warrant the stay. 

Meanwhile, Jamal’s lawyer Rejinder Singh confirmed the matter, adding that they would appeal the decision. 

On July 26 last year, Kok was awarded RM300,000 in damages after the judge ruled in her favour. He also ordered Jamal to pay costs of RM50,000 to Kok. 

Kok filed the suit on April 6, 2017, over an allegedly defamatory statement by Jamal about Yawas funds during a news conference on March 8, 2017. 

In her statement of claim, she said the statement was published by both print and electronic media, as well as on Jamal’s Facebook page. 

She asserted that the statement, among others, gave the impression that she had misused state government funds for herself and was an unethical person. 

Kok had sought RM1 million in general damages, compensatory damages, aggravated damages, and exemplary damages, and an injunction to prevent Jamal from further making such claims in the media. – Bernama, March 21, 2023.