The Kuala Lumpur High Court has ordered Lim Lip Eng to pay a total of RM2 million in damages after allowing a defamation suit against the Kepong MP by e-commerce firm Monspace (M) Sdn Bhd and its founder Jessy Lai.
Civil court judge Akhtar Tahir also directed the DAP lawmaker to pay RM250,000 in costs to the company as well as Lai.
When contacted, Lim’s counsel Guok Ngek Seong confirmed the outcome of the Zoom proceedings this morning.
Back in 2019, the media reported that Monspace and its founder filed a civil action against Lim (above) over an allegation that the company was involved in an investment scheme that failed to pay returns as promised to investors.
In that same year, the media also reported that a few of the company’s founders were also charged in the criminal court over an alleged pyramid scheme.
Guok said the civil court today ruled that the defendant should have allowed the investigations to be carried out after raising the issues.
The lawyer said the court said that Lim went beyond his duty as MP in making the accusations against the plaintiffs and that as an MP, he has the duty to verify the information and cannot be trigger-happy.
Guok said the court ruled that Lim should not have gone with the 19 Chinese nationals (alleged victims of the purported scam) to the plaintiff's office.
The lawyer said that the civil court ordered Lim to make “a public apology within seven days from the judgment or order being perfected” and to pay RM500,000 in damages to Lai and RM1 million in damages to Monspace.
Guok added that the court ordered the defendant to pay RM500,000 in aggravated damages to both Lai and Monspace, as well as pay RM250,000 in costs to both plaintiffs.
When contacted, Lim said, “I am not satisfied with the court's decision and I have instructed my lawyers to file an appeal (to the Court of Appeal).”
Later today, Guok confirmed that they have filed their notice of appeal against the civil court verdict.
In mid-2019, Monspace and Lai filed the defamation action at the civil court after Lim allegedly made multiple statements, including when he and several Chinese nationals visited the company headquarters in Bukit Jalil back on May 23, 2017.
According to the lawsuit’s statement of claim, the two plaintiffs were seeking general and aggravated damages for over 15 alleged defamatory remarks made by Lim through five publications between 2017 and 2018.
Lim, Sungai Pelek assemblyperson Ronnie Liu and 19 Chinese nationals - who claimed they were victims of the MonSpace investment scheme - had gone to the headquarters of the multinational firm to demand a refund or at least an explanation as to why their investment had purportedly not materialised.
Monspace and Lai were represented by counsel Harpal Singh Grewal during today's civil court proceedings. - Mkini
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