Former MTUC president Zainal Rampak lost his defamation suit against The Sun Media Corp, former editor-in-chief Ho Kay Tat and journalist K Ravindran.

NONE Zainal (left) had sued them for defamation in an article published in The Sun 10 years ago.

Shah Alam High Court judge Justice Nik Hasmat Nik Mohamed dismissed the suit with costs, ruling that the article was one of fair comment and qualified privilege.

"There was no malice by Ravindran and the article was basically a statement of fact. (It) is not tantamount to a defamatory publication," she said this morning.

The report, headlined 'Shut up or step down, Zainal told', was published on Sept 6, 2000. It was in relation to the EPF Optional Annuity Scheme.