In his broad grounds of judgment released today, Malacca High Court judicial commissioner Isa Ibrahim gave a particularly pointed reminder to Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh: “Manners maketh man”.

The judgment follows the conclusion of a two-year legal battle between Seputeh MP Teresa Kok and Akmal, whom she sued for defamation over a social media dispute regarding the government’s proposed mandatory halal certification requirement for certain businesses.

Yesterday, the court ruled in Kok’s favour, ordering Akmal to pay RM300,000 in damages and legal costs.

Akmal, who is also the incumbent Merlimau state assemblyperson, was further ordered to remove the impugned statements from social media and was barred from republishing the defamatory statements or words to the same effect.