Justice Amelia Tee Hong Geok Abdullah, The High Court Judge today ordered Petaling Jaya Utara Member of Parliament Tony Pua Kiam Wee to pay RM200,000 to Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor Sdn Bhd (Syabas) over defamatory statements.
Amelia J said the circulation to over 33,000 people and the publication carried with it far greater connotations and implications than if they had been uttered by an ordinary man in the street.
"The public looks up to the defendant as their 'wakil rakyat'(MP) and his utterances would carry far greater conviction. In such circumstances, it is incumbent upon the defendant, in carrying out his many and varied duties, to ensure that in speaking about and disseminating information which are of public interest to his constituents and the general public, that he does so with a firm resolve to disseminate the information fairly and with no omission of facts which may render a statement to be defamatory.
Pua, in his statement of defence, filed on March 14 last year, denied saying the defamatory words .
