SHAH ALAM: The High Court has ordered social media activist Ahmad Aliff AS Ahmad Shariffuddin, better known as Alif Ahmad, to pay a total of RM130,000 in damages to two lawyers after finding him liable for publishing defamatory statements against them.
Judge Datuk Khadijah Idris ruled on Thursday (March 19) that the two plaintiffs, Nur A'minahtul Mardiah Md Nor and Asiah Abd Jalil, had successfully proven the elements of defamation against the defendant.
In her judgment, the court awarded Nur A'minahtul Mardiah RM80,000 in general, special, and exemplary damages, plus RM10,000 in costs.
As for Asiah, the defendant was ordered to pay damages of RM50,000 and legal costs of RM7,000.
In the writ of summons filed through Messrs Nurul Hafidzah & Associates, the plaintiffs had initially sought general damages of RM1mil each for the defamatory statements published by the defendant on social media.
They claimed that the remarks had led the public to perceive them as incompetent and lacking integrity, thereby damaging their professional credibility and tarnishing their reputations as legal practitioners.
The plaintiffs also sought an order for the defendant to retract the defamatory statements and issue a formal apology on his Facebook page or other social media platforms. – Bernama
