Contractor fails to set aside High Court's decision

PUTRAJAYA: A contractor today failed in his bid to set aside the High Court's decision to dismiss his defamation suit against a lawyer.
The Court of Appeal panel comprising Datuk David Wong Dak Wah, Datuk Hamid Sultan Abu Backer and Datuk Hasnah Mohammed Hashim were unanimous in rejecting Mohamed Ali Ismail's appeal.
Wong who led the panel said the respondent Kamal Hisham Jaafar was covered by qualified privilege in the lawsuit as he was at the time serving as a lawyer for the Sultan of Johor.
The court ordered Mohamed Ali, 51, who was represented by counsel Aishaton Abu Bakar, to pay RM5,000 costs.
On July 16 last year, the Kuala Lumpur high court dismissed Mohamed Ali's suit against Kamal Hisham, 47.

Mohamed Ali sued Kamal Hisham in April 2012, claiming, the latter had disparaged him in a letter delivered to Jabatan Diraja Johor, Johor Public Service Commission and media by hand, post, email and facsimile.
Mohamed Ali who was then working as a part-time photographer at Istana Johor, alleged that the letter was intended to tarnish his good name.
Kamal Hisham was represented by counsel Jeffery Wong Yi Liang. — Bernama