JUDGMENT

Kamalanathan Ratnam J:

BACKGROUND FACTS

(a) The Libel

[1] The plaintiff and defendant are both advocates and solicitors of the High Court of Malaya. They are both related through marriage. The plaintiff had married the defendant's sister. There are two children of the marriage both of whom are also advocates and solicitors of the High Court of Malaya; but it is only the daughter, Shanti, who is involved in this suit.

[2] The plaintiff contends that the defendant wrote of him falsely and maliciously a letter, and which was faxed to the plaintiff's legal firm. The relevant contents of the said letter are as follows:

"Our client further wishes to inform you that it is your daughter who goes round making allegations against you and in fact she wanted to lodge a police report against you and our client stopped it.

Our client states that she is very embarrassed that you are a source of disgrace to the family and to her and she wonders how you manage to walk around and our client has even stopped taking cases and going to Court because of you. You were a source of embarrassment in London and you are now continuing it here and further her tuition money was used by Vijayalakshmi to clothe