Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Salleh has been ordered to pay Teresa Kok RM300,000 in damages and legal costs, after the court ruled in her favour in a defamation suit over a social media dispute concerning the government’s halal certification requirement for businesses.

The Malacca High Court also ordered the Merlimau state assemblyperson to remove the impugned statements from social media, and barred him from making further defamatory statements against the Seputeh MP.

In a statement today, Kok’s lawyer Sankara Nair said that she was awarded RM250,000 in general and aggravated damages and RM50,000 in costs.

“The decision marks an important vindication of Kok’s reputation and underscores the importance of accountability for defamatory statements, particularly those disseminated publicly and through social media,” Sankara said.