COURT ORDERS APOLOGY FROM JAMAL YUNOS
Sungai Besar Umno division chief also told not to repeat statement against DAP lawmaker
THE High Court here yesterday ordered Sungai Besar Umno division chief Datuk Seri Jamal Md Yunos to apologise to DAP lawmaker Yeo Bee Yin for defaming her four years ago.
Judge Datuk Rozana Ali Yusof ordered Jamal to apologise to the former energy, green technology, science, climate change and environment minister in front of reporters at the Kuala Lumpur Courts Complex here.
Rozana, in her consent judgment, also ordered the defendant or any of his agents not to repeat the statement that he posted on June 16, 2017.
Jamal, 51, when reading out his apology, said he was sorry for defaming Yeo regarding the Yayasan Warisan Anak Selangor (Yawas) funds issue.
“I want to apologise to Yeo for my mistake as she was honest and transparent when managing the Yawas fund.”
On June 14, 2017, Yeo filed the suit seeking compensation from the Sungai Besar Umno division chief for issuing a statement over the alleged abuse of the Yawas fund.
In the statement of claim, Yeo, who is also Bakri member of parliament, claimed that Jamal had issued a defamatory statement on March 21 in the same year, which was published in several newspapers, news portals and on Jamal’s Facebook account.
Yeo claimed that Jamal’s statement gave the impression that she had abused public funds for her personal use and painted her as an unethical and unreliable person.
Apart from RM5 million in general damages, Yeo was also seeking compensatory, aggravated and exemplary damages and an injunction to prevent Jamal from repeating his allegations.
Lawyer Datuk S.N. Nair, who represented Yeo, in a statement, said his client’s character and reputation were now impeccable.
“With today’s (yesterday) proceedings and the public apology by Jamal to my client, in respect of this appalling episode, my client’s untarnished reputation has now been restored.
“She is fully vindicated,” he said.
Lawyers V. Mugunthan and Mohammad Nasser Yusof represented Jamal.
On Aug 7, last year, the High Court dismissed Jamal’s application to strike out the suit.
Jamal filed the application on grounds that the Malaysian AntiCorruption Commission’s investigation into the alleged abuse of funds was ongoing and that Yeo’s suit was premature pending the outcome.