Suit by national diver against Utusan settled

KUALA LUMPUR: The suit by a national diver against Utusan Melayu (Malaysia) Berhad (UMMB) over an article published in the Utusan Malaysia newspaper in 2017 was settled amicably in the High Court here yesterday.

Judge Datuk Mohd Zaki Abdul Wahab, who recorded the consent judgment, thanked both parties for resolving their dispute, whereby the court had set five days from today to hear the case.

The court also ordered the diver to pay cost to the newspaper company, but the amount was not mentioned.

Earlier, lawyer Datuk Jasbeer Singh, representing the diver, informed the court that both parties had agreed to settle the matter and lawyer Azhar Arman Ali, representing Utusan Melayu, did not object to it.

Azhar Arman, when met by reporters outside the court, declined to reveal the terms of the settlement to the media.

The diver, aged 19, filed the suit last March 1, claiming that UMMB, which was named the defendant, had published an article on Oct 5, 2017, which among others, implied that she was a rape victim and involved in doping or drug use.

She claimed the UMMB had intentionally used a heading with her name and image to sensationalise the article for profit.

The diver claimed that the publication of the article had affected her dignity and that of her family, as well as caused her to be depressed during training, hence affected her performance, and tarnished the good name of the country.

She had sought an injunction to prevent UMMB from taking any action that may prejudice her and also general, special and exemplary damages, interests and costs.

Meanwhile, UMMB, in its statement of defence dated April 9, claimed that the article did not defame the plaintiff as the contents when read as a whole did not cause her to be seen in bad light or as someone involved in drug abuse

It also claimed that the article was a fair comment and of public interests. - Bernama