Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin has won his defamation suit against Utusan Melayu (M) Bhd over the WWW1 number plate bought by the Johor Sultan.
High Court judge Justice Rosnaini Saub ordered Utusan to pay RM250, 000 to Nizar in damages and five percent interest from Thursday to its full settlement.
She awarded him costs of RM30,000.
In his statement of claim, Nizar had said that the defendant had implied that Nizar had tried to incite the people to hate the Sultan of Johor.
Nizar claimed the statement also meant that he had alleged that the Johor ruler had misused public funds to pay RM520,000 for the plate number.
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She said the amount was in view of Mohammad Nizar's status in the society, the conduct of Utusan Melayu after the libel was published in its newspaper Utusan Malaysia, extent of circulation of the libel, its nature and its effect on him.
She awarded Mohammad Nizar an interest of five percent per annum from the date of judgment until its full settlement.
She directed Utusan Melayu to pay RM30,000 in costs to him.
In her ruling, Justice Rosnaini, however, held that there was no need for the publication of an apology and an injunction order over the libelous statement.
