KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court has ordered cosmetics businessman Datuk Seri Aliff Syukri Kamaruzaman to pay RM250,000 in damages to former minister Tan Sri Abdul Kadir Sheikh Fadzir in a defamation lawsuit.
Justice Roslan Mat Nor made the order after allowing Abdul Kadir's defamation suit against Aliff Syukri over a statement the businessman made in 2023.
The court also ordered Aliff Syukri to pay RM50,000 in costs to Abdul Kadir.
In the decision, Justice Roslan issued an injunction barring Aliff Syukri, the defendant, from continuing to publish defamatory statements against Abdul Kadir.
"The defendant, either directly or through his agents, is to remove the publication against the plaintiff from all social media accounts within seven days of the court order.
"The defendant is also to give a written undertaking not to make or publish any defamatory statements against Abdul Kadir, the plaintiff," Justice Roslan said on Wednesday (April 29).
Both Abdul Kadir and Aliff Syukri were absent from Wednesday's proceedings.
On Sept 6, 2023, Abdul Kadir filed a lawsuit against Aliff Syukri, seeking RM70mil in damages for an alleged defamatory statement.
In his statement of claim, Abdul Kadir alleged that Aliff Syukri, who has a large following on social media, made a statement on July 2, 2023, allegedly implying that Abdul Kadir owed him millions of ringgit.
Abdul Kadir was seeking RM70mil in damages for libel and other relief deemed fit by the court.
In his defence, Aliff Syukri said he made an RM30mil investment in a venture dated Nov 26, 2018, involving the plaintiff, himself, and two companies.
Aliff Syukri claimed that the parties in the venture failed to make payments on the investment and that the plaintiff had breached a pledge made to him.
