Activist Andy Hall stands by comments about Dyson/ATA manpower company boss, says his lawyer
FMT Reporters – February 18, 2022 8:05 PM
Migrants rights activist Andy Hall has sworn to defend himself against a defamation suit expected to be filed later by a recruitment firm director.
GEORGE TOWN: Migrant rights activist Andy Hall’s bribery claim made in an email against a Malaysian recruitment firm boss amounts to fair comment, his lawyer M Ramachelvam said today.
In response to a letter of demand by the firm’s lawyers asking for RM30 million in damages and an apology, he said Hall’s remarks were true in substance and made in good faith.
Ramachelvam said they would rely on a “defence of fair comment, justification and qualified privilege” if the suit comes to court.
He denied that his client had written false, misleading or damaging statements in the email, said to have been sent to at least 40 people.
Hall was recently served the letter demanding that he apologise to Embun Karisma Resources director R Muthusamy over the bribery allegation.
The recruitment firm director has given Hall up to Feb 28 to apologise or else face legal proceedings.
Hall had responded that he would not be cowed by this threat and welcomed the opportunity to defend this claim in court.
Ramachelvam said Hall stood by his remarks claiming that the recruitment firm boss had tried to entice him with a consultancy at a Johor company, ATA IMS Bhd, which made him feel it was a form of corruption and bribery.
In the email, Hall was reported to have claimed that Muthusamy had asked around on “how much it would cost to pay off or silence Andy Hall”. Muthusamy’s lawyer, GK Sritharan, said the allegations were false and without merit and had damaged his client’s reputation locally and overseas.