The Court of Appeal has dismissed the appeal by preacher Zamihan Mat Zin against a High Court decision that found him to be an “unreliable witness” and had ordered him to pay RM50,000 in damages for defaming local non-governmental organisation Syria Care.

The bench, led by Justice Rohana Yusof along with Court of Appeal judges Justice Vernon Ong and Justice Harminder Singh Dhaliwall, in its unanimous decision yesterday also ordered Zamihan to pay RM10,000 in costs.

This follows a report published by The Star Online quoting Zamihan in a 2014 article titled “Senseless violence jihad puts Malaysia as hub, says Home Ministry officer”, which linked the NGO to syiah groups in Malaysia that must be monitored by the government.

The defamatory article was published on June 27, 2014, and has been withdrawn by the news portal.

According to a press release issued by the law firm for Syria Care, Shukor & Associates, the Court of Appeal agreed with the finding of fact by the High Court that Zamihan uttered “Syria Care” in his press conference and that it had a different meaning and objective.

Judicial commissioner Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh of the High Court in Shah Alam had, on April 21, found Zamihan to be an unreliable witness as his answers were contradictory and against his own pleading.

In passing judgment, Wan Ahmad ordered that the damages be assessed and he also issued a permanent injunction barring the preacher from uttering those words.

The High Court subsequently ordered Zamihan to pay RM50,000 in damages to Syria Care and costs of RM30,000.

It also directed Star Media Group Bhd, which was the second defendant, to publish an unconditional apology to Syria Care.

No judgment was entered on Star Media Group following its withdrawal of the article and The Star Online published the unconditional apology on May 17 this year.

Zamihan is a Malaysia Islamic Development Department (Jakim) officer who was seconded to the Home Ministry and has now been placed at the Prisons Department as a deradicalisation officer for terrorism and extremist elements.

He is also president of the Ahli Sunnah Wal Jamaah Association (Aswaja) and principal assistant secretary of the Home Ministry’s Security and Public Order Division.

Zamihan had previously been remanded for two days to assist in the police investigation under the Sedition Act 1948 for allegedly criticising the Johor sultan for taking a firm stand against the “Muslims-only” laundrette.