Malaysia’s Chef Wan ordered to pay $43,000 in damages to former son-in-law for defamation

Malaysian celebrity chef Redzuawan Ismail, better known as Chef Wan, has been ordered by Malaysia’s Court of Appeal to pay RM150,000 (S$43,000) in damages to his former son-in-law Gavin Edward O’Luanaigh. This is over defamatory remarks made on social media.

According to Malaysian news agency Bernama, O’Luanaigh had earlier appealed against the High Court’s decision that the alleged statements made by Chef Wan, 66, were not defamatory.

Justice Azizah Nawawi – one of the three judges on the Court of Appeal panel – ordered Chef Wan to pay RM150,000 in general, aggravated and exemplary damages to O’Luanaigh. He also has to pay RM40,000 in costs for proceedings in the High Court and Court of Appeal.

She barred Chef Wan from publishing the defamatory statements in the future. In addition, he has to pay interest of 5 per cent per annum from the date of filing of the writ of summons until the final settlement of the judgment sum.

O’Luanaigh, an Irishman whose Muslim name is Salahudin Ghaffar, married Chef Wan’s daughter, actress and television host Serina Redzuawan, 40, in 2010. They divorced in 2017.

O’Luanaigh said in a suit filed in February 2021 that Chef Wan had made defamatory remarks about him and his current wife in eight posts on social media.

Chef Wan said in his statement of defence that the remarks were based on facts, were fair comments, protected by absolute and qualified privileges and made without malicious intent, Bernama reported.

In May 2023, the Shah Alam High Court partially approved O’Luanaigh’s claim for an injunction against Chef Wan by ordering the chef to remove all eight posts on social media.

However, High Court judge Rozi Bainon said the impugned statements were not defamatory of O’Luanaigh and were published with no malicious intent.

Chef Wan said on social media on June 21 that he accepted the court decision and hoped to move on with his life.