Malaysia - Blogger ordered to pay huge damages to minister in defamation case

Reporters without borders

A Malaysian court has rejected an appeal by the blogger Amizudin Ahmat and ordered him to pay 300,000 ringgit (100,000 US dollars) in damages to the minister of information, communications and culture, Rais Yatim, for allegedly defaming him in a blog article. The Putrajaya appeal court ruled on 19 January that, in view of the minister's “high social standing”, the damages were not excessive and it upheld the sum awarded by the High Court. Legal costs, originally amounting to 100,000 ringgit (...)

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