SHAH ALAM: The High Court has ordered The Star and two others to pay more than RM116,000 in costs to a former Perak executive councillor who won a defamation suit last month.
Lawyer R Kengadharan said the trial judge, judicial commissioner Tee Geok Hock, apportioned the costs payable by The Star Media Group Bhd and two individuals to A Sivanesan in a decision delivered via email yesterday.
He said The Star Media was ordered to pay RM86,214, while journalist Foong Pek Yee and farmer Poh Wai Sheng have to pay RM15,000 each.
However, Sivanesan was ordered to pay RM20,000 in costs to MCA president Wee Ka Siong.
“The judge delivered his ruling on costs after parties were instructed to file written submissions two week ago,” Kengadharan said.
On Sept 28, Tee ordered Poh to pay damages of RM50,000, while Foong was ordered to pay RM70,000 and The Star RM200,000 for defaming Sivanesan.
However, he dismissed Sivanesan’s suit against Wee, who had made a comment on his Facebook page based on an article.
Tee also ordered The Star, Poh and Foong to publish an apology in both the print and online editions of the paper.
The offending article, which was based on information provided by Poh to Foong, was published in both versions of the paper on Aug 4, 2018.
It related to the alleged bulldozing of fruit trees on state land in Kampung Kuala Bikam, near Bidor, by a sand mining company, which is a subsidiary of Menteri Besar Incorporated (Perak).
Sivanesan, of DAP, was the assemblyman for Sungkai, where the land is located, before the recent dissolution of the state assembly. - FMT
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