MINISTER in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Hannah Yeoh has succeeded in her appeal to set aside a High Court ruling that had dismissed her defamation suit against former Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan.
A three-member panel of the Court of Appeal, chaired by Datuk Azimah Omar, unanimously allowed the appeal brought by the Segambut Member of Parliament in relation to allegedly defamatory statements made by Musa at a forum held at Universiti Teknologi MARA.
The panel also comprised Datuk Dr Choo Kah Sing and Datuk Dr Shahnaz Sulaiman.
In its decision, the court ordered Musa to pay Hannah RM250,000 in damages, along with RM60,000 in costs.
The appeal court’s ruling overturned the High Court’s decision dated 23 December 2024, which had dismissed Hannah’s claim after finding that she failed to prove that Musa’s statements amounted to defamation.
The appeal was heard and submissions from both parties were completed on 17 October 2025.
Hannah first initiated the lawsuit in 2020, when she was serving as Minister of Youth and Sports, following remarks made by Musa during a forum on 30 January 2020.
She alleged that Musa, in his speech, accused her of writing her book, Becoming Hannah, with the intention of turning Malaysia into a Christian state.
She further claimed that he alleged she had links with Christian and Jewish missionaries aimed at undermining Islam and Malaysia, and that she prioritised her personal interests over those of the country.
The Court of Appeal’s decision marks a significant reversal of the earlier High Court ruling, restoring Hannah’s defamation claim and holding Musa liable for the statements made at the public forum. - January 13, 2026
