MP's special assistant fails to get stay of execution in defamation suit
KUCHING: The Court of Appeal here has dismissed the application by Michael Kong, a special assistant to the Sarawak DAP chairman, for a stay of execution on the High Court's decision in the defamation suit initiated by businessman Datuk Richard Wee until his appeal is disposed off.
The High Court had on Jan 26 last year found Kong, who is Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board chairman, guilty of defaming Wee in a Facebook posting.
Kong was ordered to pay Wee RM200,000 in damages, with five per cent interest per annum from the date of the posting's publication in July 2020 until full settlement. The court also ordered Kong to pay the legal costs amounting to RM50,000.
The Court of Appeal, in dismissing Kong's stay application, also ordered the immediate removal of his Facebook post.
Kong said later the total amount he was required to pay amounted to around RM310,000, which comprised the judgment sum of RM200,000, the accrued interest and costs amounting to RM60,000 and legal cost of RM50,000.
He said while it was deeply regrettable that such a hefty amount must be paid before the Court of Appeal hears and decide on the merits of the appeal, he nevertheless would respect and comply with the High Court's decision.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BusinessToday
40 minutes ago
- BusinessToday
Malaysia Courts Silicon And Scalpel Giants In San Francisco
Malaysia's global investment drive continues to gain momentum, with two major US tech firms, Halo Industries and Intuitive Surgical, exploring opportunities to set up operations in the country, according to Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz. In a Facebook post during his visit to San Francisco, Zafrul revealed that Halo Industries, a leading American semiconductor player, is considering expanding to Malaysia — a move he said would elevate the nation's role in the global semiconductor supply chain. This aligns with Malaysia's National Semiconductor Strategy (NSS) and the New Industrial Master Plan 2030 (NIMP2030). 'Not the Halo game, but Halo Industries, one of the leading semiconductor companies in the United States,' Zafrul quipped in his post, thanking the company for its trust in Malaysia. In a separate engagement, the minister also met with executives of Intuitive Surgical, a company behind advanced robotics and AI-driven surgical platforms. Discussions focused on Malaysia's potential as a high-tech investment hub for the medical technology sector. Zafrul said the government, through MITI and the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA), is fully committed to supporting such initiatives, which are expected to create high-skilled jobs and drive sustainable economic growth. 'The Malaysian government, through MITI and MIDA, is committed to fully supporting this effort,' he said. Related
New Straits Times
4 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Senior citizen beaten up, suspect arrested in Tumpat
KOTA BARU: A man who allegedly assaulted a 75-year-old man has been arrested, following an incident that went viral on Facebook yesterday. Tumpat district police chief ACP Mohd Khairi Shafie said the police received a report regarding the incident at 8.38pm. He said the incident occurred earlier at around 8pm when the complainant was closing up his grocery store in Kampung Kebun, Pengkalan Kubor. "Suddenly, a local man in his 30s entered the premises and struck the victim with his hand for no apparent reason, causing injuries," he said in a statement today. He also said the public managed to detain the suspect before contacting the Pengkalan Kubor police station and the suspect was arrested by the police. Those with information related to the case can contact Investigation Officer Insp Mohammad Nurul Safwan Mohd Zambre at 09-725 7222. – Bernama
New Straits Times
5 hours ago
- New Straits Times
NST Leader: E-waste land
MALAYSIA doesn't want to be an e-waste garbage bin for the world, but it just can't help being one. Year after year, an estimated one thousand containers make it past our seaports. Some through our porous land and maritime borders. The Customs Department tells us that importers — or are they smugglers? — are bringing in the containers by falsely declaring them to contain anything but e-waste. Some containers don't make it through the inspection of the department, but many do. How many is anyone's guess. The hundreds of illegal e-waste factories throughout the country give a picture of the number of containers that made it undetected. Some are hidden in plantations; others operate openly, in plain sight, visible to the eyes of the authorities. The most recent raids from June 16 to June 19 by 12 agencies on 57 premises in a nationwide crackdown show how bad a crisis the illegal e-waste smuggling is. The police, which led the raids in collaboration with the Department of Environment and Inland Revenue Board, estimated the seizures and revenue loss to the government to be RM1.003 billion. The 57 raided premises were almost a national affair, with 16 in Selangor, 12 in Sabah, six each in Kedah and Sarawak, five each in Perak and Johor, four in Penang, two in Kelantan and one in Terengganu. The raids also yielded 453 arrests, with only 41 Malaysians being nabbed. The rest were from the usual suspects: China, Myanmar, Bangladesh, India, Cambodia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Pakistan and Nepal. From Jan 1 last year to June 19, the police arrested 1,061 people. This should frighten the nation into action before the crisis becomes a catastrophe. But the authorities appear to be facing, not insurmountable, but surmountable hurdles. One such revealed itself when the crackdown was launched. Although police intelligence revealed that more than 57 premises were operating illegally, many were found closed on the day of the raids. This, according to Federal Internal Security and Public Order Department director Datuk Seri Azmi Abu Kassim, raises concerns as to whether some operators may have been tipped off, the New Straits Times quoted him as saying. Enemies within aren't new threats for enforcement units. But which of the 12 agencies leaked it would be something for the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission to uncover. Punishment not matching the crime is another hurdle. Consider the Customs Act 1967. Anyone making false declarations can be fined up to RM500,000 or imprisoned for up to seven years, or both. A fine of RM500,000 is just a trifling sum for smugglers. Be that as it may, how many "importers" have been slapped with a RM500,000 fine or a seven-year imprisonment? As unheard of as hen's teeth. The Customs Department must do better by convincing the court to impose the maximum of punishment because illegal e-waste smuggling is a national crisis. While the government must provide the enforcers and regulators with the necessary resources to do a good job, they, too, have to go on an internal journey to weed out corrupt officers. Robust enforcement is not possible any other way. Absent this, containers of illegal e-waste will keep arriving on our shores, turning the crisis into a meltdown.
