NADES IN THE DOCK

Journalist ordered to pay RM500,000 in damages over tweets

UPDATED @ 01:46:42 27-04-2012

Apr 27, 2012

 

KUALA LUMPUR, April 27 — Journalist R. Nadeswaran has been ordered to pay RM500,000 in damages to Datuk Mohamad Salim Fateh Din over defamatory statements made on social networking site Twitter.
Star Online reported that the High Court has awarded the property developer RM300,000 in general damages and RM200,000 in aggravated damages.
It is understood that Nadeswaran, who writes The Sun’s Citizen Nades column, is the first person in Malaysia to be sued for defamation over a Twitter posting.
The Gapurna CEO filed a RM15 million lawsuit against the journalist in March 2011 over postings on his Bumiputera status.
Contacted later, Nadeswaran told The Star that he would appeal the decision.
“I intend to exhaust all my legal options, including an appeal against the decision for damages.
“The hearing took place without the benefit of my defence and I intend to continue to pursue the matter for my defence to be heard,” he was quoted as saying.

No apology and no sympathy. A journalist lives by the sword, dies by the sword. When a journalist takes up the profession, they know the risk and of course, the discipline. It the case of Nades, he is experience enough to know his boundaries. Ergo, he earns no sympathy.