Judge Yasmin Abdul Razak said Colin Andrew Pereira had proven on a balance of probabilities that Ivor Lim had defamed him.

She also ordered an injunction restraining Lim from publishing the defamatory statement against the plaintiff, and told Lim to pay him RM7,000 in costs.

Pereira, a lawyer of more than 30 years’ practice, had sued Lim for posting a video in which she claimed that “one of the reasons why the legal industry in Malaysia is so toxic is because of the senior lawyers”.

In her video, she also said: “But this guy named Colin suddenly woke up and chose violence.”

Lim was a practising lawyer at a legal firm in Penang at the time the video was posted.

In his statement of claim filed on June 8, 2022, Pereira contended that the statements, when viewed as a whole, could be taken to mean that he had caused or contributed to the legal profession being toxic, and that he used or supported the use of violence.

He also contended that Lim had allowed other comments to be posted, which Pereira claimed were defamatory to him.

Lim meanwhile relied on the defences of justification and qualified privilege.

She asserted that the phrase “woke up and chose violence” was internet slang and not to be taken literally.

Pereira, who appeared in person, was assisted by Gary Wong and Jeslyn Ling while counsel Elson Beh and Eric Augustin acted for Lim.