DAP vice-chairperson Teresa Kok has lodged a police report today over a fabricated news article that claimed that she has endorsed “halal-certified pork”.
The Seputeh MP described the fabricated article, which has since gone viral on social media, as “purely defamatory in nature”, and insisted that she has never made such statements.
“This false and defamatory article has tarnished my reputation and portrayed me as a racial and religious agitator, undermining the country’s social harmony.
“I have demanded that the police conduct an investigation into all social media account owners who posted this inflammatory article and take the appropriate legal action,” she posted on Facebook today.
The DAP lawmaker and her assistant had lodged a report at the Sri Petaling district police station today and filed a complaint with the MCMC to take action on the matter.
In her Facebook post, she also named 18 separate Facebook accounts and one Thread account that were supposedly responsible for spreading the allegation, and urged the authorities to take stern action against these individuals.
The fabricated news article featured a headline made to resemble a headline from local news outlet Berita Harian, which read: “Halal certificates for pork are necessary - Teresa Kok”.
Kok said she was alerted to the matter on Jan 14, when friends had forwarded her WhatsApp messages regarding the article, after it had gone viral on social media.
Kok v Akmal
Earlier this week, Kok had also escalated her defamation suit against Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh to the trial stage, after mediation efforts failed to result in an amicable settlement.
Kok’s lawyer, Sankara Nair, explained that both parties had been unable to reach an out-of-court settlement during the mediation session conducted at the Malacca Court Mediation Centre, and that the trial has been fixed for Feb 12 and 13 at the Malacca High Court.
Mediation is an alternative dispute resolution process aimed at settling cases without proceeding to a full trial.
In the suit filed on Oct 25, 2024, Kok alleged that Akmal made insulting and derogatory statements portraying her as lacking knowledge, particularly on matters related to halal certification, and as opposing government policies on Islamic practices.
The allegedly defamatory remarks were made in a video Akmal posted on TikTok on Sept 7, 2024.
Kok, who named the Merlimau assemblyperson and outgoing Malacca exco member as the sole defendant, is seeking general, aggravated and exemplary damages.
She is also seeking an injunction to restrain him from further uttering, writing or publishing defamatory statements against her, as well as any other relief deemed just and appropriate by the court. - Mkini
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.