Malaysia Court of Appeal orders preacher Rasyiq Alwi to pay Khairy Jamaluddin RM830,000 in libel damages
TheWkly Analysis
The Court of Appeal has ordered preacher Rasyiq Alwi to pay former health minister Khairy Jamaluddin RM500,000 as general damages, RM250,000 in aggravated damages, exemplary damages of RM80,000, and RM50,000 in costs. Last year, the High Court ordered Rasyiq to pay Khairy RM2 million in general damages, together with RM250,000 each in aggravated and exemplary damages. In a unanimous decision, a three-member bench chaired by Justice Zaini Mazlan cut the general damages to RM500,000 and exemplary damages to RM80,000, while maintaining the RM250,000 aggravated damages award. The bench also upheld the trial judge’s ruling that Rasyiq pay Khairy interest at 5% per annum on the judgment sum calculated from the date of judgment until full settlement. The case stems from defamatory remarks made by Rasyiq about Khairy’s vaccination status. Khairy was represented by lawyer Abdul.
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Key Entities
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Rasyiq Alwi Person
Malaysian preacher ordered to pay damages for defamatory remarks about a politician's vaccination status.
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Khairy Jamaluddin Person
Former Malaysian Health Minister and UMNO leader who won a libel suit against a preacher over false vaccine claims.
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Court of Appeal Organization
Malaysia's intermediate appellate court that reduced the libel damages award in this high-profile case.
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Justice Zanyi Mazlan Person
Chair of the three-member bench that delivered the unanimous decision on the defamation damages.
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Putrajaya Place
Administrative capital of Malaysia where the Court of Appeal sits and issued the libel ruling.
Multi-Perspective Analysis
Left-Leaning View
Frames the ruling as protecting elite politicians from criticism, potentially stifling free speech against government figures during health crises.
Centrist View
Presents a balanced court decision reducing excessive damages while upholding accountability for defamatory statements on public health.
Right-Leaning View
Views the verdict as justified defense of a leader's reputation against irresponsible religious influencers spreading vaccine misinformation.
Source & Verification
Source: Free Malaysia Today RSS
Status: AI Processed
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