Sarikei MP wins defamation lawsuit
SIBU: Sarikei Member of Parliament Wong Ling Biu has won a defamation lawsuit against Teng Ung Woo and China Press Bhd.
In his ruling yesterday, High Court Judge Lee Heng Cheong said the plaintiff had proven his case against Teng and China Press.
“Having taken into consideration, all the pertinent factors of the case, this court grants the following awards; as against the first defendant ( Teng), this court awards general aggravated damages of RM200,000; as against the second defendant (China Press), general and aggravated damages of RM150,000.
“As against the first and second defendant, an injunction to restrain the defendants whether by themselves, their servants or agents or otherwise howsoever from further publishing the said or any similar defamatory of the plaintiff,” he said.
Lee also awarded interest on the award at 4 per cent per annum from the date of filing of the suit to the date of payment of the damages and costs.
“The costs of RM35,000 per defendant is on Sessions Court’s scale as this case ought to have been filed in the Sessions Court,” he said.
Wong had claimed damages amounting to RM1.5 million each from the defendants for libel contained in an article headed ‘Present at parliament to deliver an election petition?’ published or caused to be published, or caused to be printed and published by Teng and published, or printed and published, or caused to be printed and published by China Press on page 14A of the China Press newspaper dated June 26, 2013.
He also claimed an injunction to restrain Teng by himself, his servants, or agents or otherwise, and China Press by itself, its directors, agents or servants or otherwise from further publishing or causing or permitting to be published or printing and publishing the said words or any similar words defamatory to him.
He also claimed interest at 5 per cent per annum on the damages awarded from the date of publication until full payment, or interest on the judgement sum at such a rate and such a date that the court thinks fit and proper to grant.
Wong also claimed any further or other reliefs that the court may deem fit and proper to grant and costs.
Wong was represented by counsel Chong Siew Chiang.