Ex Tune Talk Ceo Awarded Rm200 000 Damages In Defamation Suit

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The High Court finds that the articles referring to former Tune Talk CEO Jason Lo were defamatory. (Bernama pic)SHAH ALAM: Former Tune Talk CEO Jason Lo has been awarded RM200,000 in damages by the High Court after it finds a news organisation and its three journalists liable for defamation.
Justice Alice Loke said Lo had proved his case on the balance of probabilities and all defences raised to ward off the suit had also been dismissed.
She also ordered The Star Media Group Bhd and its three journalists – Esther Ng Sek Yee, Asohan Aryaduray and Tarrence Tan – to pay Lo another RM40,000 in costs.
The plaintiff’s suit centred around two articles published by the defendant’s newspaper, The Star, on May 16 and 25, 2019.
It also involved a commentary on Facebook by one of the reporters which was published on May 25, 2019.
Loke in her broad grounds said the articles referred to Lo were defamatory.
“The impugned articles read in its entirety and its ordinary meaning implied dishonourable character on the part of the plaintiff.
“The court finds that the contents of the articles are disparaging and seriously damage the plaintiff’s reputation,” she said.
Loke said the defendants failed to prove the defence of justification and qualified privilege.
She said some portions in the three publications, such as stating that the plaintiff had a history of drug and domestic abuse and a molester, were not substantiated by credible evidence.
“The defendants cannot hope to avoid liability by employing words like allegedly or mere reportage of the contents of police reports,” she said.
Loke said the defendants also failed to publish Lo’s side of the story and overstepped the boundaries of responsible journalism in the publications of the three impugned articles.
Counsel Hariharan Tara Singh and Effa Azuin Aidrul Hisham represented Lo while Izral Khairy and Joycelyn Goh appeared for the defendants. - FMT

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