Court allows TV3's appeal to reduce amount of damages to Nizar

KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court here today allowed an appeal by Sistem Televisyen Malaysia Berhad (TV3) to reduce the amount of damages the company was ordered to pay former Perak mentri besar Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin.

The case involved Mohammad Nizar's suit against the television station over his Twitter post about the "WWW1" vehicle registration number, which was carried by TV3 in its Buletin Utama on May 30, 2012.

Judge Datuk Yeoh Wee Siam handed down the decision in chambers in the presence of lawyer Mohd Fitri Asmuni, representing Mohammad Nizar, and lawyer Lim Qi Shi, for TV3.

Mohd Fitri, when met by reporters, said the court reduced the RM200,000 in general, aggravated and exemplary damages set by deputy registrar Hanie Dzatul Akhmar Zulkefli last July 14 to RM180,000 as general damages.

"The court opines that the amount of RM180,000 is apt with the position of the plaintiff as a politician," he added.
On Feb 24 this year, the Federal Court ruled that there was no bias in the court of appeal's decision in finding TV3 liable for disparaging Mohammad Nizar.
Mohammad Nizar filed the suit, seeking RM50 million, against the television station alleging that the defendant had disparaged him by twisting his comments about the "WWW1" bid that was successfully won by the Sultan of Johor for RM520,000 in May 2012.

He also named Buletin Utama producer, Rohani Ngah, as a defendant in the suit.

On April 12, 2013, the High Court dismissed the suit by the Bukit Gantang member of parliament, but he appealed against the decision at the Court of Appeal which ruled in his favour and remitted the case to the High Court for assessment of damages. — Bernama