The National Association of Children of Felda Settlers (Anak) president, Mazlan Aliman, and a publishing company today had to pay RM350,000 in damages to the Federal Land Development Authority (Felda) for defaming the agency in a book.

The order was made by High Court judge Su Geok Yiam who dismissed the applications by Mazlan and Angkatan Edaran Enterprise Sdn Bhd, as the defendants, to defer the payment of damages.

Counsel Nadzratun Naim Hammad Azizi, representing Mazlan and the publishing company, when met by reporters, said the court had rejected their applications after finding that they had no merit.

“The court also ordered both defendants to pay RM5,000 in costs,” Nadzratun said after the hearing of the applications in chambers today.

Also present during the proceeding was lawyer Nor Emelia Iszeham, representing Felda.

The court had on May 29, 2015, ordered Mazlan and Angkatan Edaran Enterprise, which published the book, ‘Felda... Dulu Tolong Sekarang Ah Long’, to pay general damages and aggravated damages amounting to RM350,000 as well as RM150,000 in legal costs to Felda.

Felda filed a suit against Mazlan and the publishing company on July 20, 2009, claiming that the title of the book carried a meaning that Felda was an Ah Long or illegal money lender charging very high interest rates.

Felda, in its statement of claim, said the book also indicated that Felda would be reaping huge profits from various development programmes to the extent of jeopardising the settlers who purportedly lived in poverty due to the plaintiff’s wrongdoings and that they were like slaves because of its alleged oppressive policy.

Felda stated that the content of the book was malicious and aimed at damaging its reputation and hence its image, in the eyes of the public.

- Bernama