KUALA LUMPUR: An entrepreneur has issued a seven-day ultimatum to celebrity and activist Rafidah Ibrahim to pay RM281,200 in damages following a successful High Court lawsuit.
Datuk Haris Embong and his company Arisprop Holdings Sdn Bhd filed the suit, which the court allowed on July 31, ordering Rafidah to pay the stipulated sum.
Haris’s legal firm Izral Partnership stated that a formal demand notice was served upon Rafidah’s then-legal representatives in Shah Alam on August 20, 2024.
The firm confirmed that neither Rafidah nor any representatives have settled the claim despite the court order.
Another formal demand was served upon her new legal representatives in Gombak on September 19.
“We have been instructed by our client to demand that Rafidah remit the sum of RM281,200 within seven days from the date of this letter,“ the statement read.
Failure to comply will compel Haris to pursue all necessary enforcement proceedings without further notice.
The demanded payment comprises RM100,000 in damages to Haris personally and RM150,000 to his company Arisprop Holdings Sdn Bhd.
Additional amounts include costs of RM30,000 and a fee of RM1,200 as specified in the court order.
In a separate media statement, Haris stated that Rafidah has been given substantial time to settle the claim but has not complied to date.
“This claim is essential to vindicate my reputation and that of my company against the defamatory allegations,“ he stated.
Haris filed the suit in October 2021 regarding two separate Facebook posts made by Rafidah on September 21 and October 18, 2021.
The posts contained allegations about refusing to pay for her services according to the court documents.
Judicial Commissioner Dr John Lee Kien How @ Mohd Johan Lee ruled that Rafidah’s second post was defamatory as the language used exposed the plaintiff to hatred, ridicule, or contempt.
The court found that while the first post was capable of bearing a defamatory meaning, it was not actually defamatory in the presented context.
The court also dismissed Rafidah’s counterclaim against both plaintiffs seeking RM4,000 for alleged unpaid wages and RM3,550 in facility costs. – Bernama
