PETALING JAYA: Umno Youth chief Datuk Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh will be selling his motorcycle and farmed tilapia fish to raise the RM300,000 in damages awarded to Seputeh MP Teresa Kok in her defamation suit against him.
Dr Akmal said he respects the court order and is ready to comply.
"RM300,000 is a big amount for me and even after taking into account my savings, it is still not enough," he said on Facebook on Wednesday (Oct 21).
"With a heavy heart, I am offering to sell off my two beloved assets – my motorcycle and bred tilapias.
"Both hold their own stories of struggle and happiness for me.
"Even writing that I intend to sell them feels difficult as it is hard to part with something we love."
He also urged interested buyers to message him privately with their offers.
"If both parties can agree on a price, we will proceed," he said.
Dr Akmal also expressed gratitude for those who expressed concern and encouragement.
ALSO READ: Teresa Kok wins RM250,000 defamation suit against Akmal Saleh
"Some suggested setting up a donation fund to help me settle the (suit).
"However, please allow me to try to raise the money on my own first.
"I know that each of you also have families, financial commitments and difficulties of your own," he said.
Dr Akmal said it would weigh even more heavily on him to burden others when he still has possessions to liquidate.
On Monday (Oct 19), Kok won her defamation suit against Dr Akmal at the Melaka High Court.
Justice Datuk Isa Aziz Ibrahim ordered him to pay RM250,000 in damages and RM50,000 in costs over remarks concerning halal certification.
The court also ordered him to remove the offending posts within seven days and barred him from repeating the defamatory statements, according to Kok’s lawyer Datuk Sankara Nair.
Kok filed the suit in October 2024 over statements Dr Akmal made in a TikTok video posted on Sept 7 that year.
In her statement of claim, she alleged that the remarks insulted and belittled her, portraying her as lacking knowledge of halal certification and opposing government policies on Islamic practices.
She named Dr Akmal, the incumbent Merlimau assemblyman, as the sole defendant and sought damages and an injunction to prevent him from repeating the statements.
