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Kota Kinabalu: The Federal Court has affirmed the State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Christina Liew’s (pic) defamation suit against Leksun Bin Injil.

The three-member panel comprising Justices Dato’ Abdul Rahman Bin Sebli CJSS, Dato’ Zabariah binti Mohd Yusof and Dato’ Sri Hasnah binti Dato’ Mohammed Hashim unanimously held on Tuesday (14 February) that the Federal Court was not persuaded that Leksun’s leave application ought to be granted.

In June last year, the Court of Appeal upheld the decision of the High Court that found Leksun liable in uttering defamatory words against Liew in regards to the Bagahak Plantation Scheme. In January 2021, the Kota Kinabalu High Court, before Justice Leonard David Shim, awarded damages to Liew in the sum of RM100,000.

Leksun was found to have uttered the offending words at the Gaya Street Sunday Market three days before polling day for the 14th General Election (GE14) in 2018 where Liew was nominated as PKR’s candidate for the Api-Api state seat and Tawau parliamentary seat.

Leksun uttered slanderous and defamatory statements against Liew in a video recording of himself, which went viral on social media, over the Bagahak Smallholders Scheme in east coast Lahad Datu.

Liew was represented by counsel Datuk Alex Decena and Jordan Kong, while counsel Shim Mong Seng and Yong Yit Jee appeared for Leksun.