Rosmah granted default judgment in TikTok suit

KUALA LUMPUR: Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor has obtained a judgment in default (JID) from the High Court against a TikTok account owner in a defamation lawsuit.

Justice Ahmad Shahrir Mohd Salleh allowed Rosmah’s application to enter a JID against the defendant, Ku Muhammad Hilmie Ku Din, who failed to enter an appearance in the case.

An entry of appearance is a formal response to the summons, to inform the court that the defendant intends to defend himself.

The court also made an order for general, aggravated and exemplary damages to be assessed by the High Court at a later date.

Rosmah was represented by lawyers Sureshmurti Ramani and Mohamed Baharudeen Mohamed Ariff.

On Sept 19, last year, Rosmah filed the suit claiming that Ku Hilmie had uploaded a TikTok video on March 2, 2023, containing defamatory content against her.

The wife of former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak claimed the post implied that she committed a sin, or was linked to bomoh or Satanic activities, had practised polytheism and that she should repent.

She said the TikTok post had prejudiced her reputation as the wife of a former prime minister and patron to charity bodies in the country.

Rosmah claimed that as a result, she suffered criticism from the public and that her reputation as a public figure was smeared.

She sought general, aggravated and exemplary damages to be assessed by the court, and an injunction to stop Ku Hilmie or his assistants or agents from repeating the defamatory post, in addition to other relief deemed fit by the court.

The injunction application, however, has been withdrawn as the defendant failed to respond to the suit.