Kuala lumpur: The High Court today ordered a TikTok account holder to pay damages of RM100,000 to Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor in a defamation suit filed by the wife of former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak. Judge Datuk Ahmad Shahrir Mohd Salleh ordered Ku Muhammad Hilmie Ku Din, 35, to pay the amount to Rosmah, after finding that the plaintiff had successfully established her entitlement to damages for defamation.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the court decided on a global award in the sum of RM100,000 for general and aggravated damages, noting that exemplary damages were not awarded due to a lack of cogent evidence to support such an award. The proceeding, which was held online, also imposed an interest of five per cent per annum on the judgment sum from the date of judgment until full satisfaction of the award. Additionally, Ku Muhammad Hilmie was ordered to pay costs amounting to RM20,000.
In his judgment, Ahmad Shahrir highlighted that the defamatory allegations against Rosmah suggested her involvement in supernatural practices and associated her with spiritual entities, attacking her character concerning religious integrity and moral standing. He emphasized that in a societal context where religious values are significant, such allegations could cause distinct reputational harm.
The judge further noted the importance of moderation in damages, which are compensatory and not punitive. Despite Rosmah’s conviction by the High Court over the RM1.25 billion solar hybrid project in Sarawak, currently under appeal, the damages in the defamation claim were assessed independently of this conviction.
Counsel Datuk Abu Bakar Isa Ramat and Mohamed Baharuden Mohamed Ariff represented Rosmah during the proceedings. On May 28 of the previous year, Rosmah obtained a judgment in default against Ku Muhammad Hilmie after he failed to respond to the suit in the stipulated timeframe. The suit, filed on September 19, 2023, alleged that Ku Muhammad Hilmie uploaded a defamatory video on his TikTok account on March 22, 2023. Rosmah claimed that the video implied she engaged in sinful acts and was associated with idolatrous practices, damaging her reputation as the wife of Malaysia’s sixth prime minister and a patron of charitable organizations.