The Member of Parliament (MP) for Seputeh, Teresa Kok, filed a lawsuit against the UMNO Youth Chief, Datuk Dr Akmal Saleh, over an allegedly defamatory post last year regarding Halal certificates, in which the latter called Teresa “old Nyonya.”
The duo is expected to see each other in court next year after the Melaka High Court set 13 and 14 February next year for the hearing.
Teresa Kok takes Dr Akmal to court over an alleged defamatory social media post
The dates were set today (13 October) during the case management. Last year, Teresa remarked that the requirement for Halal certificates on restaurants and food companies that do not serve pork and alcohol will create a burden on small businesses, including Malay restaurant operators.
In her Facebook post dated 6 September 2024, Teresa urged the government to review the enforcement of the Halal certification application.
While Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said that Teresa’s statement did not help clarify the situation, the UMNO Youth Chief did not take her remark well.
In his response video, Dr Akmal claimed Teresa’s statement interrupted the country’s harmony, explaining that a Halal certificate is not merely “no pork, no alcohol”.
Dr Akmal also stated that a non-Halal sticker should be put on Teresa’s head, whom he called ‘old Nyonya’.
Teresa claims Dr Akmal “distorted the facts” in his social media post
According to Teresa, Dr Akmal’s remarks distorted the facts, causing her to be misunderstood as a racist, insensitive to Islam, disrespectful to religion, and disloyal to the country, when her remarks were merely directed at the food and beverage industry in Malaysia.
“However, the respondent exaggerated and misinterpreted them through oral statements, distorting the plaintiff’s original intentions, misleading the public, and damaging the plaintiff’s professional reputation,” Teresa’s lawyer said, as reported by China Press.
“Akmal has shown no remorse for his remarks and has refused to retract them or apologise.”
Dr Akmal, in his post, made it clear that he would not apologise for his remarks, claiming that Teresa was playing victim. In her lawsuit, Teresa seeks general, compensatory, aggravated, and punitive damages, as well as an injunction prohibiting Akmal from repeating the statements.
At the time of writing (13 October), the UMNO Youth Chief has yet to respond to the hearing dates. Teresa, in her Facebook post today, said that “she will see Akmal in court.”
