The Court of Appeal has allowed Kepong MP Lim Lip Eng’s appeal against the amount he has to pay in damages and costs to e-commerce firm MonSpace (M) Sdn Bhd and its founder Jessy Lai for defamation, reducing it from RM2.5 million in total to RM125,000.

Today’s panel, chaired by judge Ahmad Zaidi Ibrahim, unanimously agreed that the damages ordered by High Court Judge Akhtar Tahir were excessive.

In 2023, Akhtar ordered Lim to pay RM500,000 to MonSpace and RM1 million to Lai in general damages, and RM500,000 to both plaintiffs in aggravated damages.

The High Court judge also ordered Lim to pay RM250,000 in costs to the firm and Lai.

In the proceedings earlier today, the panel...