ANN/THE STRAITS TIMES – The Malaysian High Court has ordered former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin to pay MYR400,000 to former finance minister Lim Guan Eng before the year ends.
The amount is part of MYR1.35 million in damages in a defamation suit that the Bersatu president must pay in a court decision on November 8.
In the proceedings conducted in chambers yesterday, Justice Roz Mawar Rozain allowed a conditional stay of execution to Muhyiddin by ordering him to pay MYR400,000 before December 31, and the remaining balance before or on January 27, 2025.
This was confirmed to the press by Lim’s lawyer, Chetan Jethwani and lawyer Guok Ngek Seong, who acted for Muhyiddin.
On November 8, Justice Roz Mawar made a finding that Muhyiddin had defamed Lim, who is chairman of the Democratic Action Party (DAP), over the former prime minister’s statement on Al-Bukhary Foundation’s tax exemption.
In her decision, the judge said Muhyiddin had resources at his disposal to verify and confirm whether his understanding was correct on facts.
“Yet he did not do so and continued to make further defamatory statements against the plaintiff after the latter had brought to his attention the falsity of such allegations in the defamatory statements,” she added.
