Local news outlet Berita Harian filed a police report after an article headline was altered to falsely attribute a statement to Seputeh MP Teresa Kok that she never made.
Teresa had earlier lodged a police report against 19 social media users for sharing a defamatory post claiming that she said a halal certificate is necessary for pork. According to her, she received a screenshot of the doctored headline from a friend via WhatsApp, with the fake article already circulating on social media.
As for Berita Harian, the report was lodged following the circulation of an article that used the newspaper’s name and logo to spread a story titled “Halal certification for pork is appropriate”, which was alleged to be defamatory towards Teresa.
The article had been manipulated by imitating the BH Online layout and retaining the name of the BH journalist who wrote the original report
Group editor Zulkifli Jalil clarified that the article with the viral headline was never published on BH Online, stressing that the headline had been altered from the original, legitimate publication.
The report was lodged yesterday (16 January) at the Pantai Police Station, while Teresa made her report on 15 January, as shared in her social media post. She also emphasised that she had never made such remarks and urged the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) to investigate the matter.
Teresa kok and her assistant
In another update, Teresa revealed that she is set to begin her trial with UMNO Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh on 14 February over what she described as his defamatory remarks. Earlier, Dr Akmal had criticised Teresa over her stance on halal certification, referring to her as an “Old Nyonya” and remarking that a non-halal label should be placed on her forehead.
Teresa and Akmal had attempted to mediate the case at the Malacca Magistrate’s Court, but the effort was unsuccessful.
Also read: “I will fight DAP until the end!” – Dr Akmal Resigns as Melaka Exco But Stays On as UMNO Youth Chief
