This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily on October 31, 2018

KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court of Kuala Lumpur yesterday ruled in favour of The Edge Communications Sdn Bhd and its two journalists in a defamation case initiated by PDZ Holdings Bhd.

PDZ Holdings had argued that it had been defamed by The Edge Communications but High Court Senior Judge Datuk Su Geok Yiam dismissed the civil lawsuit and ordered the shipping company to pay the defendants’ legal fees.

The Edge Communications publishes The Edge Malaysia and The Edge Financial Daily.

To recap, PDZ Holdings had brought legal action against the media company, due to three articles published in The Edge Malaysia under the headlines Interesting manoeuvres at PDZ, Undue preference in PDZ assets transfer and Murky connection between Sanichi and PDZ.

PDZ Holdings had alleged that these articles, published last year on May 22, June 12 and July 3, were defamatory and malicious.

However, Su, who presided over the trial, dismissed PDZ Holdings’ claim with costs, stating the plaintiff has failed to prove its claim on the balance of probabilities.

The learned judge ordered that the costs in the sum of RM50,000 be paid by PDZ Holdings to the defendants.

The Edge Communications and its journalists were represented by K Shanmuga and Jonas Lee, while Datuk J Shamesh and Charlotte Diane Williams acted for PDZ Holdings.

PDZ Holdings has the right to appeal in the Court of Appeal within one month from yesterday.

During the trial, the two journalists from The Edge Malaysia were asked by the plaintiff’s lawyer to reveal their sources of information for the three articles in court, but they refused. The court had ruled that the two journalists did not have to reveal their sources’ identities.