DEFAMATION SUIT
KUCHING: The High Court here yesterday ordered former Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Sarawak publicity chief Vernon Kedit to pay RM200,000 in damages and another RM40,000 in costs to Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas for defaming the later.
Uggah had sued Vernon for calling him a ‘liar’ and a ‘traitor’, which Uggah claimed were highly defamatory and published widely via the PKR Sarawak media and WhatsApp chat group late last year.
Vernon had made the remarks when commenting on the alleged imperfection of the amended Sarawak Land Code, particularly on the mechanism(s) to convert native customary rights (NCR) land to Native Territorial Domain (NTD).
The judgement was delivered by Judge Ravinthran N Paramaguru at the Kuching High Court.
According to Uggah’s lawyer Sim Hui Chuang, “The judge found that the defendant (Vernon) was liable and allowed the plaintiff’s (Uggah) claim.
“And he ordered the defendant to pay damages of RM200,000, and RM40,000 in costs as well as an injunction granted to the plaintiff.”
Vernon was represented by lawyer Desmond Kho.
