KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 24 — Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has paid the RM1.4 million judgment sum to Lim Guan Eng in connection with a defamation lawsuit over Yayasan Albukhary’s tax-exempt status.
According to Free Malaysia Today (FMT), Lim’s lawyer, Guok Ngek Seong, confirmed that the Pagoh MP transferred the remaining RM1 million into the firm’s client account yesterday, ahead of the January 27 deadline. He added that the initial RM400,000 was paid last December.
On December 16, Muhyiddin was granted a conditional stay of the judgment by Justice Roz Mawar Rozain. As part of the stay’s terms, he was required to pay RM400,000 by December 31, with the remaining RM1 million due by January 27.
Muhyiddin has since filed an appeal with the Court of Appeal challenging both the liability and the amount.
Last November 8, the High Court ruled in favour of Lim, awarding him RM1.35 million in damages and RM50,000 in costs.
The court found that Muhyiddin had defamed the former finance minister through statements made on Facebook in March of the previous year.
These statements accused Lim of influencing the Inland Revenue Board (LHDN) to revoke the tax-exempt status of a Muslim charitable organisation and of imposing a tax and a 45 per cent penalty on the foundation for previous years while serving as finance minister.
Muhyiddin was also determined to have defamed Lim by alleging that the order to revoke the foundation’s tax-exempt status must have originated from Lim, as LHDN fell under his authority at the time.
As reported by FMT, Roz Mawar stated that the three statements suggested Lim had misused his power to target Muslims.
