Defamation: Court orders ex-IGP Musa Hassan to pay RM250,000 in damages to Hannah Yeoh

PUTRAJAYA - Former Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan was ordered by the Court of Appeal to pay Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Hannah Yeoh a global sum of RM250,000 in damages in a defamation suit.

A three-member Court of Appeal bench led by Federal Court Judge Datuk Azimah Omar and comprising Court of Appeal Judges Datuk Dr Choo Kah Sing and Datuk Dr Shahnaz Sulaiman, also ordered Musa to pay Hannah costs amounting to RM60,000.

"The learned judicial commissioner had erred in her decision when she dismissed Hannah’s lawsuit. We allow the appeal and hereby order the decision to be reversed and set aside,” said Justice Azimah.

The former Youth and Sports Minister filed the appeal against the Kuala Lumpur High Court’s decision on Dec 23, 2024, which dismissed her suit against Musa and ordered her to pay RM40,000 in costs to Musa.

Hannah filed the suit in 2020 against the former top cop over statements he made at the forum on Jan 30, 2020. Hannah was present in court today.

Reading out the ruling, Justice Azimah said that the High Court had incorrectly allowed the defendant's (Musa) defences of justification, fair comment, and qualified privilege in relation to the statements that appellant Hannah claimed were defamatory.

The judge noted that Musa, in his defence, had called Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) lecturer Dr Kamarul Zaman Yusoff to testify, but the evidence presented by the witness consisted merely of his opinions, and he was not recognised as an expert witness.

"The judicial commissioner contradicted her ruling by holding that Kamarul is a witness of 'fact' and Musa can rely on the former's 'opinion' in his defence," she said, noting that last year, Kamarul Zaman also lost a separate defamation case filed by Hannah.

The judge further said no evidence showed that Hannah used her book, titled 'Becoming Hannah, a Personal Journey', to propagate her religion or destroy Islam.

"Then Bibles should not be on the shelf. This would be preposterous," she said, adding that arguments regarding the defendant's position as former IGP, including claims that he needed freedom to speak on matters of national or religious importance, do not grant carte blanche to make statements without due care, responsibility, or accountability. - BERNAMA