PUTRAJAYA: A Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia senior lecturer failed to overturn a High Court dismissal of his RM1 million defamation suit against a blogger over allegation linking him to Wahhabism.
Dr Azwira Abdul Aziz's appeal was thrown out today by a three-man Court of Appeal bench, chaired by judge Datuk Balia Yusof Wahi, which affirmed a Shah Alam High Court ruling that the appellant failed to prove he was defamed by Zamihan Mat Zin, 38.
The Shah Alam High Court on Oct 11 last year ruled that Azwira, 46, failed to prove his case on a balance of probabilities.
Balia noted that lecturers and academicians should focus more on the welfare of students.
The bench, also comprised of judges Datuk Abang Iskandar Abang Hashim and Vernon Ong Lam Kiat, ordered Azwira to pay RM10,000 cost to Zamihan.
Counsel Adenan Seman acted for Azwira while Azmi Tan Sri Rais represented Zamihan.
Azwira, of UKM's Quran and Sunnah Studies Department and a member of the Perlis State Fatwa Council, filed the suit on June 18, 2009, against Zamihan, then assistant director at the Training Institute of Malaysia (Ilim).
In his statement of claim, Azwira alleged Zamihan had on March 6, 2008, posted on his blog al-ghari.blogspot.com, an article entitled "Kisah Lama dari UKM".
He claimed the article contained statements associating him with the Wahhabi ideology, which he alleged were untrue and defamatory.
Azwira had sought RM500,000 in general damages, and RM500,000 in exemplary damages plus interest.