Justice Alice Loke also ordered Yazid Othman to pay Teo an annual interest of 5% on the damages awarded from the date of the judgment until the amount is fully settled.

Loke also awarded the DAP vice-chairman RM30,000 in costs.

In a forum in February 2021, Yazid claimed that Teo, as deputy education minister from 2018 to 2020, had ordered ministry officers to alter the contents of the Form 4 History textbook to “promote and publicise the communist struggle”.

Teo had denied the claim, saying that during her tenure as deputy education minister, she had never been involved in the preparation of drafts and printing of textbooks, let alone give the order to change the contents of the History textbook.

The education ministry later said changes in the History textbook were finalised in April 2018, when Barisan Nasional was still in power.

The ministry added that the process of publishing the textbook had undergone a strict quality control, including content mapping, manuscript writing and approval of sample copy, among others.

Loke ruled that Teo had proven the elements of defamation while Yazid, then deputy chairman of a coalition of NGOs, had failed to establish his defence of justification, fair comment and qualified privilege.

The judge also ruled that Yazid’s statements were made with malicious intent.

“I welcome this decision as justice has finally been served in this matter and I have cleared my name of these unwarranted allegations,” Teo, the deputy communications minister, said in a Facebook post.

Teo was represented by lawyer Syahredzan Johan, who is also DAP’s Bangi MP, and Amanda Wong.