DAP leaders Pua and Yeo to pay RM350,000 damages to MCA's Chew over defamation case after appeal withdrawn
PUTRAJAYA (Oct 11): A dispute between two DAP leaders — former Damansara member of Parliament Tony Pua and current Puchong MP Yeo Bee Yin — and former MCA vice-president Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun has come to an end with the withdrawal of their appeal and a settlement agreement between the parties.
Pua and Yeo had filed an appeal before the Court of Appeal (COA) against the judgment of the Shah Alam High Court in November last year that ordered them to pay a total of RM350,000 to Chew for defamation over allegations Chew had approved the sale of land at a lower value to MCA.
Similarly, Chew also retracted her cross-appeal to raise the quantum of damages awarded to her by the High Court in the defamation suit.
Both withdrawals were done before a three-member COA bench led by Datuk Supang Lian on Wednesday, who struck out the appeal and cross-appeal with each party bearing their own costs. The other judges on the bench were Datuk Hashim Hamzah and Datuk Wong Kian Kheong.
Counsel Syahredzan Johan of Messrs Ram Caroline Sha & Syah appeared for Pua and Yeo, while Chew was represented by Counsel Rueben Mathiavarnam of Messrs Zaid Ibrahim Suflan TH Liew & Partners.
With the appeal withdrawn, the Shah Alam High Court ruling on Nov 30, 2022 is affirmed. This meant that both Pua and Yeo will have to pay Chew damages of RM200,000 and RM150,000, respectively. In the meantime, the DAP duo had sought public donations to pay the sum ordered by the court.
Later, after the proceedings, Rueben said the damages sum has been received and held by his law firm and the money will be released to Chew.
Chew, in a statement later, said she would donate the court-ordered damages to UTAR Hospital following the withdrawal of Pua and Yeo's appeal.
"After deducting the costs involved in the case and litigation, the balance RM258,000 from the court-ordered damages will be donated to Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) Hospital.
"I would like to thank the court for clearing my name, [and] thank the MCA leadership and MCA comrades for their support. My gratitude also goes to my lawyer for representing me as well as to all individuals who have assisted and trusted me."
She hopes that this case will serve as a reference for all politicians to ensure that all the information they use are factual before commenting on or making allegations.
"This case also proves that while justice may have been delayed, justice will eventually be served," Chew added.
MCA is currently part of the unity government through its membership in Barisan Nasional.
To recap, Pua and Yeo had alleged that MCA, through Chew, bought land in Kampung Cempaka, Petaling Jaya in 2007 at below the market price. Yeo further alleged in a Facebook post and video that the said land was used for dragon fruit farming, but it had been proven otherwise.
They made the statements in 2017. Chew filed the defamation suit in March 2018.
On Nov 30, Shah Alam High Court judge Datuk Roslan Abu Bakar ruled that Chew was defamed by Yeo and Pua. Roslan found Chew, a former PJ MP, was never a member of the district land committee that approved the alienation of the said land to MCA, and that by their natural and ordinary meaning, the complained words suggested that she as an MP and MCA member had used her position and influence on the committee to acquire the land, were deemed untrue.
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