
Appeals court reserves decision on Hannah Yeoh’s defamation appeal
PUTRAJAYA : The Court of Appeal has reserved its decision regarding Segambut MP Hannah Yeoh’s appeal against the High Court’s dismissal of her defamation suit against former Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan. A three-judge panel chaired by Justice Datuk Azimah Omar deferred judgment after hearing submissions from both legal teams. Justice Azimah announced the court requires time for deliberation and scheduled October 21 for case management to determine the decision date. The High Court had dismissed Yeoh’s lawsuit on December 23, 2024, ruling she failed to prove Musa’s statements were defamatory. Yeoh, who serves as Youth and Sports Minister, originally filed the suit in 2020 concerning remarks Musa made during a Universiti Teknologi MARA forum on January 30, 2020. She alleged Musa accused her of writing her book ‘Becoming Hannah’ to transform Malaysia into a Christian nation during his speech. Yeoh further claimed Musa asserted she had connections with evangelists and Jews to undermine Islam and Malaysia’s stability. Her counsel Razlan Hadri Zulkifli argued the High Court erred in finding the statements non-defamatory by classifying them as mere passing remarks. Razlan emphasized that the video evidence showed Musa repeated the allegedly defamatory statements three to four times during the forum. He contested the High Court’s finding that no publication occurred because Musa allegedly lacked knowledge his speech would be broadcast online. Razlan maintained publication occurred through the live audience of at least 50 UiTM officials, academics, and students present in the auditorium. He noted media coverage of the statements further demonstrated their publication to third parties. Yeoh’s counsel requested RM1.5 million in general damages and RM500,000 in aggravated damages should the appeal succeed. Musa’s lawyer Mohd Khairul Azam Abdul Aziz argued his client’s forum comments were based on Yeoh’s own book and academic studies. Mohd Khairul Azam contended the High Court committed no legal or factual errors in dismissing Yeoh’s original claim. – Bernama