Hannah Yeoh Awarded RM400,000 After Winning Defamation Suit Against UUM Lecturer
Following the verdict, Yeoh took to Facebook to express her relief and gratitude.
By Sadho Ram β 30 May 2025, 12:40 PM β Updated 11 months ago
Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh has been awarded RM400,000 in damages in her defamation lawsuit against a university lecturer's Facebook posts from May 2017, where he accused her of promoting a "Christian agenda" through her personal memoir
The Kuala Lumpur High Court awarded RM200,000 in general and aggravated damages for each of the two defamatory posts published by the Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) lecturer, Dr Kamarul Zaman Yusoff.
However, the court declined to order a public apology, saying it could be perceived as insincere.
Yeoh filed the lawsuit in 2022 over the two posts, one of which specifically cited her autobiography, Becoming Hannah: A Personal Journey, as supposed evidence that she was using her political platform to "spread Christianity" in Malaysia, reported the New Straits Times.
In her ruling, High Court judge Justice Aliza Sulaiman said Yeoh had proven that the Facebook posts were defamatory and painted her as a threat to Islam, abusing her political position.
"In Malaysia's multi-religious society, such accusations can expose someone to hatred, ridicule, and contempt. [Kamarul] relied on the defences of justification, fair comment, and qualified privilege.
"However, the court found that none were successfully established," Aliza said.
The judge further ruled that Yeoh had established malice on Kamarul's part.
"If the defendant genuinely believed the plaintiff had committed an offence, filing a police report would have sufficed. Instead, he took to Facebook and caused unnecessary harm," Aliza added.
The judge also dismissed Kamarul's claim that the comments were aimed at DAP as a political party, noting that the lecturer had explicitly named Yeoh in both his pleadings and the title of one of the posts
The court also granted an injunction prohibiting Kamarul and his associates from republishing the defamatory remarks or making similar statements in the future.
Yeoh was additionally awarded RM80,000 in costs.
It is understood that Kamarul, who was not present during court proceedings, intends to file an appeal against the decision.
Following the verdict, Yeoh took to Facebook to express her gratitude
"Thank you, Justice Aliza Sulaiman for this decision that finally brings vindication to years of me enduring this false allegation about my book and my faith," she wrote.
"I want to thank my lawyers, Sangeet Kaur Deo of Karpal Singh & Co and Tan Chee Kian of CK Tan Chambers, for working so hard and being thorough in our case. So moved by CK who took leave from treatment in hospital just to attend court this morning," she said, adding, "I also want to thank all my witnesses for coming to the trial to testify."
She ended her post with a note of personal faith: "Finally, thank you God for Your promise that You will never leave me nor forsake me. I can trust You with my life."
