Activist loses defamation suit against ex-defence ministry official

2026-03-11 - 10:54

The Ampang sessions court awarded RM8,000 in costs to the defendant. PETALING JAYA: Road safety activist Shahrim Tamrin’s defamation suit against a former head of corporate communications at the defence ministry has been dismissed by the Ampang sessions court. Judge Fadzlin Suraya Suah dismissed Shahrim’s suit and awarded RM8,000 in costs to the defendant, Razman Hakimi Abdullah. Shahrim, a former board member of the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros), has filed an appeal at the Shah Alam High Court, with case management set for April 6. In her broad grounds of judgment, Fadzlin ruled Razman’s statement that Shahrim was a political appointee in Miros by the Pakatan Harapan government was fair comment. “There is no evidence that the defendant made the social media posting (on March 10, 2020) with malicious intent,” she said. The judge also said Shahrim failed to prove that a second posting by Razman on July 16, 2020 was in reference to him. In