The Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court yesterday awarded RM200,000 to DAP's Beruas MP Ngeh Koo Ham in a defamation suit against The New Straits Times Press (Malaysia) Berhad and its reporter.

The court also awarded RM15,000 in costs for the case concerning an article written by Sylvia Looi Lee Phing published in the New Sunday Times on November 25, 2012.

The offending article entitled "DAP in danger of losing Beruas" was a take on Ngeh's constituency ahead of the 13th General Election.

In a statement today, Ngeh said he supported media freedom but had resorted to legal action as falsehood was another matter.

"I would like to reiterate that I am for media freedom but not the freedom to spread falsehood.

"The spread of falsehood misleads the people and it is dangerous for the public to be misled by falsehood," he said.

Ngeh said he had given the newspaper ample opportunity to apologise and make the necessary corrections but  they were ignored.

The article had claimed that Ngeh hardly shows up in his constituency, was chased away when visiting an Indian estate there and did not attend religious events organised by temples as he was Christian, all of which Ngeh described as  untrue.

"I stay in the Beruas constituency and I have a legal office and 3 service centres in the constituency serving the people.

"I was never chased away by any of my constituents and though I am a Christian, I attend functions at mosques and temples as an elected representative of the people," he said.

Ngeh said he hoped the court's decision will help promote more responsible journalism in Malaysia.