RM2 million in damages sought from troubled TMI

A road safety activist is demanding RM2 million in damages, a public apology and a retraction of article from the troubled news portal The Malaysian Insight (TMI) over the latter’s alleged misleading defamatory publication against him.

Shahrim Tamrin, a former board member of the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS), made this demand in his letter of demand issued through Messrs Ong & Partners to Petra News Sdn Bhd, which manages The Malaysian Insight.

In the letter, Shahrim claimed that TMI’s news report in Malay published five years ago with the headline ‘Haramkan motor kapcai, kata aktivis keselamatan jalan raya’ and its contents were untrue, false, baseless and misguided.

The news report was written by TMI’s journalist Zaim Ibrahim at that point of time who allegedly misinterpreted and misquoted the details of Shahrim’s presentation at a motorcycle safety forum held at Universiti Malaysia Perlis in Arau, Perlis on 23 September, 2019.

According to the letter of demand signed by Shahrim’s lawyer Muhammad Wafi bin Abdullah, it is claimed that Shahrim suffered public hatred, misconception, false impression, humiliation and was gravely ridiculed, as well as his reputation has been tarnished in the aftermath of the said publication.

“That the said defamatory statements (news report), which are untrue, false, baseless, misguided, offensive, misleading, derogatory, deliberate and malicious were recklessly published and in bad faith (malice) had misquoted, sensationalized and misinterpreted the statements made by our client.

“and are intended to tarnish the reputation of our client by imputing that our client have uttered, suggested and raised the issue of banning (‘haramkan’) the use of motorcycle under 250cc, as evident by the sensational headline and contents published of the alleged defamatory article and the strong term of ‘haramkan’ used in the Facebook and Twitter’s posting of The Malaysian Insight’s official account, with the intention to disrepute and malign our client,” said the letter of demand from the item 6 (ii) issued by Ong & Partners.

The letter of demand was also delivered to Zaim, Petra Group Management Services Sdn Bhd and director of Petra News Sdn Bhd as well as chairman and chief executive of Petra Group.

For the record, The Malaysian Insight’s chief editor is Jahabar Sadiq and Petra News Sdn Bhd director is Datuk Dr Vinod Balachandra Sekhar who is also the chairman and chief executive of Petra Group.

Shahrim has given a 14-day ultimatum to The Malaysian Insight, Petra News and Petra Group to meet all of his demands before proceeding with legal action.