PUTRAJAYA, May 23 (Bernama) — The Court of Appeal has set aside a RM300,000 award given to Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng by the High Court after he won a suit against a news portal, journalist and heritage and environment advocate, over an article.

Justice Datuk Dr Hamid Sultan Abu Backer who led a three-panel bench made the ruling today, after allowing an appeal by Free Malaysia Today (FMT), owned by MToday News Sdn Bhd, former journalist S. Karunakaran and heritage advocate Prof Jimmy Lim Cheok Siang.

Speaking to reporters later, Lim’s lawyer Datuk Baljit Singh said the court held the article was not defamatory and therefore, set aside the order of the High Court.

On Aug 4, last year, the Georgetown High Court awarded Lim RM300,000 in damages, with five per cent interest per annum, and RM30,000 in legal costs after he won the suit against the three defendants.

Today, the Court of Appeal allowed the appeal by the three after hearing submissions from both parties.

Lim had sued them, alleging that he was defamed over the article published in FMT on Dec 6, 2013.