Court Uphold Damages Award to Awang Adek
PUTRAJAYA,
Sept 25 — The Appeals Court here today upheld the decision of a High
Court that had ordered The Edge Communications Sdn Bhd and three others
to pay damages to Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Awang Adek Hussin over a
defamatory article.
A three-member panel led by Justice Datuk Seri Abu Samah Nordin unanimously dismissed the appeal brought by the publisher of The Edge Financial Daily, its editor-in-chief Dorothy Teoh, its former senior writer Chan Kok Leong and its printer, KHL Printing Company Sdn. Bhd.
The panel upheld the July 27, 2011 decision of a Shah Alam High Court which granted Awang Adek’s (picture) application to summarily adjudge his defamation suit against the appellants by determining legal questions.
The order of the High Court for damages to be assessed by the deputy registrar was also upheld by the Appeals Court panel, which also comprised justices Datuk Clement Allan Skinner and Datuk Aziah Ali.
Abu Samah, however, said the decision of the High Court directing the appellants to make an apology to Awang Adek would be set aside.
The appellants were ordered to pay RM20,000 in legal costs.
Awang Adek had, on August 18, 2010, filed a RM10 million defamation suit against The Edge Communications Sdn Bhd, Teoh, Chan and KHL Printing over the alleged publication of defamatory words against him in The Edge Financial Daily on July 8, 2010 under the heading, ‘Ascot given preference due to its experience, says MoF’.
In his statement of claim, Awang Adek said the defamatory words in the article had implied that he was involved in deciding the terms and conditions for the approval of the sports betting licence to Ascot Sports Sdn Bhd.
He said the offending words also meant that he was the person who tried to legalise football betting in Malaysia, in conjunction with World Cup 2010.
In their defence, the first, second and third defendants denied having any intention to tarnish the name and reputation of Awang Adek as alleged, and asserted that the words were unintentionally used in reference to him, and a clarification was published by The Edge Financial Daily, apart from a personal apology by Teoh in a letter dated July 9, last year.
Lawyers Hizri Hasshan and Ashmadi Othman acted for Dr Awang, while Raja Eileen Soraya Raja Aman and Kimberly Lee represented the defendants. — Bernama
A three-member panel led by Justice Datuk Seri Abu Samah Nordin unanimously dismissed the appeal brought by the publisher of The Edge Financial Daily, its editor-in-chief Dorothy Teoh, its former senior writer Chan Kok Leong and its printer, KHL Printing Company Sdn. Bhd.
The panel upheld the July 27, 2011 decision of a Shah Alam High Court which granted Awang Adek’s (picture) application to summarily adjudge his defamation suit against the appellants by determining legal questions.
The order of the High Court for damages to be assessed by the deputy registrar was also upheld by the Appeals Court panel, which also comprised justices Datuk Clement Allan Skinner and Datuk Aziah Ali.
Abu Samah, however, said the decision of the High Court directing the appellants to make an apology to Awang Adek would be set aside.
The appellants were ordered to pay RM20,000 in legal costs.
Awang Adek had, on August 18, 2010, filed a RM10 million defamation suit against The Edge Communications Sdn Bhd, Teoh, Chan and KHL Printing over the alleged publication of defamatory words against him in The Edge Financial Daily on July 8, 2010 under the heading, ‘Ascot given preference due to its experience, says MoF’.
In his statement of claim, Awang Adek said the defamatory words in the article had implied that he was involved in deciding the terms and conditions for the approval of the sports betting licence to Ascot Sports Sdn Bhd.
He said the offending words also meant that he was the person who tried to legalise football betting in Malaysia, in conjunction with World Cup 2010.
In their defence, the first, second and third defendants denied having any intention to tarnish the name and reputation of Awang Adek as alleged, and asserted that the words were unintentionally used in reference to him, and a clarification was published by The Edge Financial Daily, apart from a personal apology by Teoh in a letter dated July 9, last year.
Lawyers Hizri Hasshan and Ashmadi Othman acted for Dr Awang, while Raja Eileen Soraya Raja Aman and Kimberly Lee represented the defendants. — Bernama
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