KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court here has dismissed a defamation suit filed by Segambut MP Hannah Yeoh against former inspector-general of police (IGP) Tan Sri Musa Hassan over remarks he had made during a forum at Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) four years ago.
Judicial Commissioner Arziah Mohamed Apandi ruled after finding that the plaintiff had failed to establish that the defendant’s (Musa) statements were defamatory.
“I find that in this case, the occasion (where the forum was held) to be privileged, no malice was proven, and that the defendant had reasonable grounds for his statements based on the plaintiff’s admissions and writings (in her book Becoming Hannah), and the publication (of the defendant’s statements) was beyond his control,” she said.
“While responsible speech is important, public figures must expect and tolerate robust criticism and debate regarding their public statements and actions.
“For these reasons, the plaintiff’s claim is dismissed, with costs of RM40,000,” she said when delivering yesterday’s decision via email, Bernama reported.
Arziah said the defendant was merely an invited speaker and was unaware that the forum would be broadcast.
She also said the statements were made at a forum discussing national security issues, where the defendant had spoken about perceived security threats.
“Importantly, there is no clear evidence of malice, as the defendant based his statements on academic analysis (by lecturer Dr Kamarul Zaman Yusoff), spoke within the context of broader national security concerns, and had no control over the publication of his remarks,” she said.
Yeoh’s counsel, Lim Wei Jiet, said he had instructions to appeal against the decision and would do so immediately.
In 2020, Yeoh, who is the current Youth and Sports Minister, filed a suit against Musa over statements made during a forum at UiTM on Jan 30, 2020.
Yeoh claimed that in his speech, Musa, among other things, had accused her of writing her book Becoming Hannah to turn Malaysia into a Christian nation, of having connections with evangelists and Jews to undermine Islam and Malaysia, and of prioritising her personal interests over the nation’s.
She argued that Musa’s statements in his speech were untrue, false, and unfounded, and that they were made with malicious intent to tarnish her good name and reputation.
Meanwhile, Musa, in a statement through his law firm Messrs Azam Aziz & Co, expressed his gratitude for yesterday’s decision.
He also emphasised that he would continue to speak out in his capacity as the former IGP on matters of national interest.
