KUALA LUMPUR – PAS’ Kepala Batas MP Siti Mastura Muhammad has paid RM830,034.75 in damages and legal costs to three DAP leaders – Lim Kit Siang, Lim Guan Eng, and Teresa Kok – following a defamation case linked to her campaign for the Kemaman by-election in 2023.
The payment was made to the law firm of DAP’s lawyer, Datuk SN Nair, as part of an agreement between the parties, according to reports.
“The defendant has already made a payment to (Datuk) Nair’s firm account for the judgment sum, on the condition that the money will be held in the solicitor’s account pending the appeal in the Court of Appeal,” Siti Mastura’s lawyer, Yusfarizal Yusoff, explained the payment during a Zoom call with reporters today.
Yusfarizal also mentioned that this arrangement had been agreed upon by both parties and that Nair could confirm the details.
Meanwhile, Nair confirmed that they had received a cheque late last night.
“We received a cheque late last night, which includes interest as of today, totalling RM830,034.75. Although the cheque is, of course, subject to clearance, I believe the party is good for it. My clients are happy with this arrangement, and we can accept it,” he was quoted as saying by NST.
“With this agreement recorded, we will issue the necessary undertakings and proceed accordingly. We await the Court of Appeal hearing and thank Yusfarizal for being very cordial throughout this process.”
The high court had earlier found Siti Mastura guilty of defamation for making baseless claims during her election speeches that the three leaders were associated with the late Communist Party of Malaya leader, Chin Peng.
The court ruled that her statements were damaging to the leaders’ reputations. In December, the court ordered Siti Mastura to pay RM300,000 to Kit Siang, RM250,000 to Guan Eng, RM200,000 to Kok, and RM25,000 in legal costs to each.
Despite seeking a stay of execution to delay the payment, Mastura has now fulfilled the court’s order, and the matter will proceed to the Court of Appeal.
The high court had also scheduled a hearing for today to determine whether Mastura could delay paying the damages, but with the settlement now reached, the appeal process is set to move forward. – January 23, 2025