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Published: Friday April 27, 2012 MYT 11:22:00 AM
Updated: Friday April 27, 2012 MYT 4:41:25 PM

Journalist ordered to pay RM500,000 over defamatory tweets


KUALA LUMPUR: Journalist R. Nadeswaran has been ordered to pay RM500,000 in damages to property developer Datuk Mohamad Salim Fateh Din over defamatory statements made on social networking site Twitter.

High Court judge Justice Amelia Tee Hong Geok Abdullah awarded the businessman RM300,000 in general damages and RM200,000 in aggravated damages.

Mohamed Salim was represented by lawyer Dhinesh Bhaskaran and Denise Tan, and Nadeswaran by counsel Lim Chee Wee.

Nadeswaran is the first person in Malaysia to be sued for defamation over a Twitter posting.

He was sued by Mohamed Salim for RM15mil on March 1 last year over postings in which he was alleged to have cast aspersions on the Gapurna CEO's bumiputra status.

Nadeswaran writes The Sun 's Citizen Nades column.

In an immediate response, Nadeswaran told The Star that he would appeal the decision.

"I intend to exhaust all my legal options, including an appeal against the decision for damages.

“The hearing took place without the benefit of my defence and I intend to continue to pursue the matter for my defence to be heard,” he said.

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