Harmindar Singh Dhaliwal FCJ:

Introduction

[1] This appeal concerns aspects of the law of defamation and in particular, what constitutes defamatory matter. The appeal was filed pursuant to the granting of leave on the following questions:

"1. In an impugned composite statement, some of which is defamatory and some may not, was the trial judge correct in holding that the plaintiff was prohibited in bringing about the defamatory action by complaining only of the defamatory statement", and

"2. In considering whether the sting of the defamation far outweighs the parameters of contextual interpretation, should the court only consider the following principles of interpretation of the true meanings of the impugned words:

(a) impugned words that are complained to the relevancy of the rest of the publication in a contextual setting;

(b) treating the impugned words that are complained as the bane and to discover, if relevancy is shown, if the rest of the other statements could possibly be the antidote."

[2] The appellants had filed a claim against the respondents for damages for defamation in the Kuala Lumpur High court in respect of statements made by the 1st respondent, Nurul lzzah Anwar,