LETTER | Engage expresses deep disappointment that Sarawak Report founder Clare Rewcastle-Brown's application to overturn the RM300,000 defamation damages awarded to the Terengganu sultanah has been rejected by the Federal Court on Sept 10.

This decision in finding Rewcastle-Brown liable for defamation over a mistaken identity error that had been corrected and that does not imply any wrongdoing on the sultanah, sends a chilling message to investigative journalists who expose corruption that they will not be protected in Malaysia.

As a result of this decision, Rewcastle-Brown (above) and two local businesses who published and printed her book, Gerakbudaya and Vinlee Press, will have to pay damages and costs to the sultanah to the tune of RM300,000 damages, RM135,000 costs and other incidentals (taxes and interests), bringing the total to RM455,400.

So far, the amount raised by Rewcastle-Brown in the UK and by Engage through Freedom Fund 2.0 is RM305,667. As such, the shortfall is RM149,733, round-off to RM150,000.

On behalf of Rewcastle-Brown and the two local businesses, we want to appeal again to the public to show our solidarity with them and to express our gratitude for their bravery in exposing the 1MDB scandal.

Her investigation into the scheme, as detailed in her book “The Sarawak Report: The Inside Story of the 1MDB Exposé”, to defraud the public of US$4.5 billion by fugitive Low Taek Jho and convicted former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak, has led to the downfall of Najib's government and his incarceration today. This would never have happened without Rewcastle-Brown's work.

Please donate generously to this Engage's bank account. We will give regular updates on our Facebook page on the status of the collection for Rewcastle-Brown and the two businesses.

Name: Engage Citizen Network PLT

Bank: Maybank

Account: 5512 7609 7331

Remark: Clare

On behalf of Rewcastle-Brown, Gerakbudaya and Vinlee Press, we thank all who have donated previously and those who will be donating this time. We urge you to verify the information and bank details by visiting her blog and Googling about Engage and Freedom Fund 2.0.

Video message from Rewcastle-Brown.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.