The Court of Appeal has dismissed an appeal by the Pas Member of Parliament for Kepala Batas, Siti Mastura Muhammad, to set aside a ruling requiring her to pay RM825,000 in damages and costs for defaming DAP leaders.
The legal action involved allegations linking prominent DAP figures to the Communist Party.
A three-judge panel, chaired by Ahmad Kamal Md Shahid, delivered the decision after rejecting her bid to overturn the previous High Court judgment.
The court’s decision effectively maintains the total amount of damages decided on 4 December 2024.
Legal action by DAP leadership
The defamation suits were filed separately on 27 November 2024 by DAP Advisory Chairman Lim Guan Eng, his father Lim Kit Siang, and Seputeh Member of Parliament Teresa Kok Suh Sim.
The plaintiffs initiated the proceedings against the Pas leader following statements she made regarding their political and personal affiliations.
The legal battle has centered on the impact of these statements on the reputations of the veteran politicians and the validity of the claims presented during public discourse.
Defense based on political handbook
Throughout the proceedings, Siti Mastura defended her statements, asserting they were based on truth and facts. She claimed the information was derived from the ‘BN Comms’ handbook.
The handbook was published by Barisan Nasional as a guide for its party leaders in the lead-up to the 15th General Election.
Despite this defense, the judicial panel found no grounds to set aside the High Court’s earlier findings, confirming the liability of the Member of Parliament for the defamatory remarks.
