Ex-Malaysian PM Najib’s wife Rosmah awarded $30,000 in suit against TikToker

KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia’s High Court has awarded Rosmah Mansor RM100,000 (S$30,000) in damages in her defamation lawsuit against a TikToker over her looks.

Justice Ahmad Shahrir Mohd Salleh said Rosmah, who is the wife of former prime minister Najib Razak, had successfully established her entitlement to damages for defamation in the lawsuit against Mr Ku Muhammad Hilmie Ku Din, and that a global award of RM100,000 was a “just and proportionate assessment”.

“This global award in the sum of RM100,000 comprises general and aggravated damages.

“The claim for exemplary damages is not allowed as there is no cogent evidence before this court to support such an award,” he said when delivering his decision for the assessment of damages on July 8.

The court ordered that interest at a rate of 5 per cent per annum on the judgment sum be imposed from the date of judgment until full satisfaction of the award.

On May 28, 2024, the same court allowed Rosmah’s application to enter a judgment in default against Mr Ku Muhammad Hilmie, who failed to enter an appearance in the case.

Rosmah filed the suit through Messrs Hafarizam Wan & Aisha Mubarak on Sept 19, 2023.

She claimed that Mr Ku Muhammad Hilmie had uploaded a TikTok video on March 2, 2023, which contains defamatory content on her.

She also claimed that the post, in its ordinary meaning, implied that she had committed a sin, was linked to bomoh activities and Satan, had practised polytheism, and that she should repent.

Rosmah said the video had prejudiced her reputation as the wife of a former prime minister of Malaysia and patron to charities.

She claimed that as a result, her reputation as a public figure was smeared.

She sought general, aggravated and exemplary damages, and an injunction to stop Mr Ku Muhammad Hilmie or his assistants or agents from repeating the defamatory post, in addition to other relief deemed fit by the court. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK