'Slandered for being Christian': Malaysian politician wins court case

Former police inspector general convicted for accusing Minister Hannah Yeoh in a public speech of being part of a ‘religious conspiracy to weaken Islam’ because of a book in which she recounts her experience of faith. Initial acquittal verdict handed down in 2024 by High Court overturned. Case emblematic of delicate balance between religious communities in Malaysia.

Putrajaya (AsiaNews) — The Putrajaya Court of Appeal today ruled in favour of a Christian politician — Federal Territories Minister Hannah Yeoh — in a defamation case against former police inspector general Musa Hassan, who had publicly accused her of being part of a ‘religious conspiracy’ to weaken Islam.

The verdict overturned a previous High Court decision in 2024 that had rejected her claim. Judge Azimah Omar said the High Court had made errors of law and fact and ordered Musa to pay Yeoh damages of 250,000 Malaysian ringgit (over 50,000 euro, ed.).

The case, which touches on the delicate balance between religious communities in Malaysia, arose from statements made by Musa six years ago during a forum at Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM), in which he claimed that an unidentified group linked to the Democratic Action Party (DAP) – a non-denominational force that is part of the governing coalition supporting Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim – was trying to “destroy Islam” and claimed that Yeoh had written a book to turn Malaysia into a “Christian nation”.

Yeoh filed the defamation suit in 2020, arguing that the statements falsely portrayed her as part of a religious conspiracy and exposed her to public ridicule, particularly within the Muslim community.

Judge Azimah ruled that Musa's statements were clearly defamatory and that the High Court had wrongly attempted to minimise their impact. ‘The fact that the plaintiff in the case managed to overcome the effects of defamatory statements does not exempt the defendant from liability,’ she said, rejecting the lower court's reasoning that Yeoh's subsequent victory in the 2022 Segambut parliamentary elections would neutralise the alleged damage.

The Court of Appeal also rejected the High Court's conclusion that Musa's statements did not constitute defamation because of the ‘low audience’ of the Facebook Live broadcast. ‘It is still a publication, even if it was heard by only one person,’ Azimah said. ‘We cannot understand how one can refer to the scale of dissemination to dismiss the case. This would set a dangerous precedent.’

She also noted that students and university staff were present at the forum, emphasising the seriousness of the allegations and their potential influence. The court also noted that Musa had explicitly linked Yeoh to the unnamed group he accused of undermining Islam, thus insinuating political and religious motives without evidence.

Judge Azimah criticised the High Court for basing its judgement on the testimony of Kamarul Zaman Yusoff, a single university lecturer called by Musa as a defence witness. She stated that Kamarul was not an expert and had only expressed personal opinions, equivalent to mere rumours or hearsay.

‘No evidence was produced to support the alleged “Christianisation”,’ she added, noting that there was no evidence that Yeoh had used her book, Becoming Hannah: A Personal Journey, to propagate Christianity or undermine Islam.

Speaking to reporters after the ruling, Yeoh expressed gratitude for the decision, saying she had lived with the consequences of the defamatory statements for six years.

• Malaysia
• Christians
• Islam
• Hannah Yeoh
• Musa Hassan