KUALA LUMPUR – The high court here today ordered Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin to pay RM400,000 of the more than RM1.4 million in judgment debt in a defamation suit to former Penang chief minister Lim Guan Eng before the year ends.
Lawyer Guok Ngek Seong, representing Lim, said judge Roz Mawar Rozain also ordered Muhyiddin to pay the remaining RM1.02 million before or on January 27.
“The court granted a conditional stay against Muhyiddin at a cost of RM5,000 and ordered him to pay RM400,000 on December 31 and the remaining RM1.02 million on January 27, 2025,” the lawyer told reporters after the proceeding which was held in chambers.
This was confirmed by Muhyiddin’s lawyer, Chetan Jethwani.
Last December 9, Lim filed a bankruptcy notice against Muhyiddin for failing to pay the RM1.402 million judgment (including RM50,000 costs and allocator of RM2,000) ordered by the high court on November 8.
The action was taken after Muhyiddin applied to postpone the payment of the judgment debt on the same day, citing that the RM1.4 million amount is substantial and he needed time to gather the amount but was willing to deposit 50% of the amount in a fixed deposit account to be held by Lim’s lawyer pending the hearing and disposal of his appeal at the Court of Appeal.
Last November 8, the court ordered Muhyiddin to pay RM1.35 million in damages to Lim for defamation relating to the revocation of tax exemption for Yayasan Albukhary. The court also ordered Muhyiddin to pay RM50,000 in costs.
Lim filed the defamation suit against Muhyiddin on March 27 last year for allegedly making three defamatory statements against him in Facebook posts dated March 9, 11, and 12, 2023.
Lim claimed that the defamatory statements implied he abused his position and power by authorising or directing the Inland Revenue Board to impose taxes and penalties on Yayasan Albukhary, even though the charitable foundation was granted an exemption. – December 16, 2024