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has the malaysian judiciary become absurd valuing a person s reputation much higher than a person s death murray hunter subscribe sign in malaysia has the malaysian judiciary become absurd valuing a person s reputation much higher than a person s death murray hunter aug 10 2026 3 1 1 share share in malaysia today the courts regularly hand down defamation awards reaching rm500 000 or more sometimes far higher in high profile cases against defendants including in matters that critics label strategic lawsuits against public participation slapps these sums compensate for injury to reputation hurt feelings or annoyance caused by words spoken or written contrast that with the kota bharu high court s recent decision a mother whose 12 year old son died after falling through the rotten floor of a school bus was awarded just rm17 573 after six years of waiting the court found the bus driver owner headmaster education authorities and others liable claims for aggravated and exemplary damages were rejected the figure reflects the strict limits under the civil law act 1956 which prioritises quantifiable loss of dependency and a modest fixed sum for bereavement leaving little room when the deceased is a child with no earnings the disparity is striking a life extinguished by negligence is valued at a fraction often 20 to 50 times less than the harm of defamatory statements reputation it seems commands far greater judicial protection than the irreversible loss of a human being this is not merely inconsistent it borders on the farcical a death is infinitely more serious than temporary embarrassment or bruised pride when courts treat words as costing hundreds of thousands of ringgit while a child s life is quantified in five figures the system s sense of proportion is called into question it is time for recalibration damages must better reflect the true gravity of loss of life reforms to the civil law act s restrictive framework for fatal accident claims clearer limits or scrutiny on excessive defamation awards especially potential slapps and a conscious judicial reordering of values are needed until then the message remains troubling in malaysian courts a person s reputation can be worth far more than a person s death subscribe 3 1 1 share previous next discussion about this post comments restacks gopal raj kumar aug 10 edited don t complain that you are not getting what you want just be glad you are not getting what you deserve malaysia s self styled reformists pro democracy advocates and regime changers must at last acknowledge and bear a substantial share of the responsibility for the progressive erosion of its judiciary its legal system its profession and the very foundations upon which these once rested foundations that have decayed like the rotten floorboards of a school bus through which an unsuspecting child plunges for years they have drawn upon foreign largesse principally from the restless apparatus of the united states government and its agencies in order to fan the guttering flame of american hegemony in the east the legal profession itself from whose ranks judges are selected and elevated has become a compliant choir rehearsing the anthems of an ideological orthodoxy whose historical resonances with the regimented zeal of the nazi youth movement are difficult to ignore those elevated by this process to the status of demigods and saviours celebrated for the disruption they visit upon the social order have in consequence reduced the rest of society to the status of mere mortals collateral damage valued only as such history is unambiguous those who sow extremist ideologies of this character eventually reap a bitter harvest genuine transformation is better achieved by the patient fashioning of a viable alternative than by the reckless clamour for change for its own sake to rock the lifeboat before the alternatives are known and a coherent plan secured is folly to cry fire in a crowded theatre is to invite consequences one may neither foresee nor control reply share top latest discussions no posts ready for more subscribe 2026 murray hunter privacy terms collection notice start your substack get the app substack is the home for great culture this site requires javascript to run correctly please turn on javascript or unblock scripts