Chegubard to challenge court's 'shocking' payout order to Farhash

Bersatu leader Badrul Hisham Shaharin, better known as Chegubard, is seeking to set aside a Kuala Lumpur High Court verdict ordering him to pay damages to businessperson Farhash Wafa Salvador Rizal Mubarak.

This came after judicial commissioner Arziah Apandi made the order against Badrul and fellow defendant YouTuber Nurpais Ismail yesterday after finding that they had defamed Farhash in a podcast published on May 7 last year.

Responding to the judgment, Badrul claimed that he had never received a writ of summons in relation to the defamation suit.

“(Subsequently) I did not file my attendance and the verdict was delivered without me and my lawyer being present.

“After discussing with (my lawyer) Rafique Rashid Ali, we have decided that we will file an application to set aside the verdict, and we are ready to go for a full trial,” he said on Facebook yesterday.

Apart from Badrul, Rafique confirmed to Malaysiakini that his firm is also representing Nurpais in the civil case.

Shocked by court verdict

Rafique, in a statement yesterday, said that Badrul and Nurpais were shocked to learn the court verdict via media reports.

“Defendants only learned about the existence of the suit after receiving various messages, as well as from media reports shared by their respective acquaintances.

“Our firm was also informed that they were never, at any time, served with the writ of summons, nor were they aware of the suit.

“We have advised them of their rights, and they will take appropriate further action,” he said in a statement published via his legal firm.

Rafique added that the defendants received various positive responses from the public, including offers of financial assistance.

Farhash’s lawyer confirms writ delivered

Farhash’s lawyer, Nurin Husnina Hussein, however, disputed the defendants’ claim, saying that the court had granted an order for substituted service to serve the writ of summons to the defendants and that service had been perfected.

“I would like to confirm that service was properly effected and carried out in accordance with the law.

“The judge confirmed (this) during the trial, and all affidavits of service have been duly filed in court,” she told Malaysiakini.

‘Anwar’s blue-eyed boy’

In her judgment yesterday, Arziah noted that the defendants did not enter any appearance in the suit, resulting in the trial proceeding without their defence on Jan 12.

She ordered the two defendants to pay RM300,000 in general damages, RM100,000 in exemplary damages, RM150,000 in aggravated damages and RM40,000 in costs, with five percent interest calculated from May 26 last year until full payment is made.

The court found that the statements made in a podcast published on Nurpais’ YouTube channel were capable of tarnishing Farhash’s reputation and that Badrul had clearly identified the plaintiff by repeatedly naming him and referring to him as Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s former political secretary and “blue-eyed boy”.

Farhash had filed the suit on May 26 last year over the podcast published on May 7, claiming that the duo had defamed him by portraying him as a despicable, immoral and malicious individual who was allegedly using and controlling the prime minister and his office for personal gain.

Defamation: Court orders Chegubard, YouTuber to pay Farhash RM550k