Penang Deputy Minister II P Ramasamy (photo, above) has won a defamation suit against Hindu Sangam and Tamil news daily Malaysia Nanban for allegations that the state lacked sites to perform funeral rites for Hindus.
The High Court in Penang today awarded Ramasamy RM50,000 in damages and RM8,000 in costs in the case against Hindu Sangam.
Malaysian Hindu Sangam representative G Shanmuganathan, who attended the hearing, tended an apology on behalf of the president Mohan Shan.
Shanmuganathan said Malaysian Hindu Sangam was a religious body, whose president merely expressed his views in the newspaper over the issue of funeral rites sites.
On Monday, Ramasamy also won a defamation suit, which he filed in 2017, againstMalaysia Nanban.
In an open court settlement in front of High Court judge Hadhariah Syed Ismail, Malaysia Nanban apologised to Ramasamy and agreed to pay a sum of RM10,000.00 for legal costs.
When contacted, Ramasamy expressed satisfaction with the court decision to clear his reputation.
"I am pleased with the outcome of the court decision, but I will not be taking a cent of the money. It will be donated to the Penang Hindu Endowment Board to help poor students," Ramasamy told Malaysiakini.
In April 2017, the Malaysia Nanban published three consecutive articles on the lack of sites for funeral rites in Penang, which Ramasamy claimed targeted him and the Penang government, accusing them of being unable to care for the well-being of the Hindu community.
It is learnt that the Tamil daily had reportedly obtained the information from the Malaysia Hindu Sangam for two articles which Ramasamy found offensive.
Ramasamy said he filed the defamation suit against both parties for "publishing information that was untrue, false and which sought to cast aspersions" on his ability to serve the Hindu community.
During the court hearing, Ramasamy testified that he had taken several steps over the last 10 years to set up two funeral rites centres on the mainland and the island.
Ramasamy was represented by lawyer Murali Navaratnam. - Mkini
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