KUCHING: A state minister has lauded the High Court’s decision in favour of Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embass’ defamation suit against a special officer to works minister, Vernon Kedit.
High Court Judge Ravinthran N Paramaguru awarded Uggah RM200,000 in damages and also ordered Vernon to pay RM40,000 in legal costs.
He also allowed an injunction to restrain Vernon or his agents or servants from publishing or causing to be published —the words complained of or any similar word defamatory of Uggah in whatsoever manner.
“The High Court’s decision will put a check on politicians from both sides to be more careful on what they say and publish because there are rules of law to be abided by and not just say and publish anything defaming anyone and utter seditious things as you like,” said Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.
Abdul Karim said it was unfortunate that the person who uttered the defamatory words is a lawyer himself, adding that he should know that it was wrong to do so.
“It is a good lesson to all politicians and others also,” he added.
He was commenting on the High Court’s decision in a defamation suit that Uggah brought against Vernon.
Uggah had sued Vernon for calling him a ‘liar’ and a ‘traitor’, which Uggah claimed were highly defamatory and published widely via the PKR Sarawak media and WhatsApp chat group late last year.
Vernon had made the remarks when commenting on the alleged imperfection of the amended Sarawak Land Code, particularly on the mechanism(s) to convert native customary rights (NCR) land to Native Territorial Domain (NTD).
Vernon had claimed that Uggah was ‘lying’ when he interpreted that usufructuary right as a right that one can own and also use, which Uggah had vehemently denied.
Uggah, who was away on a working trip overseas, was represented by his lawyer Sim Hui Chuang, while Vernon was represented by his lawyer Desmond Kho.
Meanwhile, Vernon could not be reached for his comment on the court decision.
