A fundraiser meant to help Sungai Besar Umno chief Jamal Mohd Yunos pay damages after losing in defamation suits has reportedly hit the RM300,000 mark.
The fundraiser was launched by a group called Gabungan Solidariti Anak Selangor (GSAS) yesterday.
GSAS's leader Faizal Zakari said the group already raised RM200,000 on launch day and told the Malay Mail that the figure was around RM300,000 as of this morning.
Jamal had been ordered to pay RM300,000 in damages and RM50,000 in legal costs to Seputeh MP Teresa Kok after losing a defamation case in July.
Kok had sued Jamal over a 2017 speech, where he accused the DAP lawmaker of abusing Yayasan Warisan Anak Selangor funds.
Jamal had failed to pay the MP, prompting her to file a bankruptcy notice against him two weeks ago.
Separately, the Umno leader also owes RM150,000 in damages and at least RM30,000 in costs to Petaling Jaya MP Maria Chin Abdullah.
Maria sued Jamal for linking her and Bersih to the Islamic State terror group.
The original damages awarded to the PKR lawmaker were RM300,000 but this was lowered to RM150,000 by the Court of Appeal.
The fundraiser for Jamal had prompted some critics to ask why Jamal needed a fundraiser when his son was living an allegedly lavish lifestyle.
Responding to this on Facebook, the Sungai Besar Umno chief said the donation drive by GSAS had nothing to do with his family or his financial stability.
"But if a group like GSAS is willing to crowdfund and help me, why should I reject?" he added.
He also pointed out that other leaders such as DAP chairperson Lim Guan Eng, and PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli had also collected public donations in order to pay for their legal battles.
New York trip
Meanwhile, on a separate matter, Kok yesterday accused Jamal of tagging along with Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob on his trip to New York over the weekend.
She based this on a screenshot of a video uploaded by Deputy Home Minister Ismail Mohamed Said.
However, the screenshot appears to show Ismail Sabri's supporters and other government officials gathering to send him off at the Bunga Raya Complex at KLIA.
Jamal has denied following Ismail Sabri to New York and said he had ordered his lawyers to take the necessary action.
Kok tonight retracted her post, saying she made a mistake while apologising to the Umno leader. - Mkini
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