00:00A defamation suit by DAP's Teresa Kok against UMNO Youth Chief Dr. Akmal Saleh over a dispute regarding halal certification will go to trial after a court-ordered mediation fell through.
00:13Kok's lawyer, S. N. Nair, said the mediation in Melaka broke down as the parties could not reach a compromise.
00:20In her lawsuit initiated last year, Kok claimed that a video uploaded by Akmal on Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram was defamatory, slanderous, libelous, and derogatory.
00:33Akmal had uploaded the video in response to Kok's statements on halal certification, calling her an old nyonya lady and saying she should not interfere in Islamic matters.
00:43Kok claimed that Akmal's statements conveyed falsehoods, painting her as racist, insensitive, and someone who disrespects Islam and is disloyal to the country, among others.
00:56Kok is seeking general, compensatory, aggravated, and exemplary damages from Akmal, as well as an injunction barring him from repeating his statements.
01:06Meanwhile, Akmal is relying on the defense of justification, fair comment, and qualified privilege to defeat the suit.
01:13Pan Yuzhou, FMT.
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