Datin Vivy Yusof Sues Netizen Who Accused Her Of Discriminating Against The Poor
Previously, Vivy was accused of questioning the cash aid given to B40 and M40 groups affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
By Arisha Rozaidee — 25 Sep 2020, 06:33 PM
FashionValet and The dUCk Group co-founder Datin Vivy Sofinas Yusof has sued a netizen over alleged defamatory statements which claim that she discriminated against the poor
According to New Straits Times, Vivy had named 28-year old Alia Najwa Hassannudin as the defendant.
She alleged that on 30 March, the defendant had published defamatory statements on Facebook and Instagram.
Vivy said that she was wrongly accused of questioning the government's effort in providing cash aid to B40 and M40 groups who were financially affected by the COVID-19 pandemic
Furthermore, she claimed that her personal and professional reputation as a member of the University Teknologi Mara (UiTM) board of directors was badly affected, according to a report by The Star.
On 1 April, a petition to remove her as the university's board member was launched and it was signed by over 230,000 Internet users.
Besides that, she said that due to the posting made by the defendant, she was insulted, attacked, and condemned on social media.
The businesswoman had previously addressed the issue on her social media accounts
Vivy received backlash when she was seen to have been agreeing with a person who claimed that "the poor will become richer during COVID-19 and jobless after".
She then issued a statement on her Instagram clarifying the issue, saying that she meant to highlight the concerns of many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) amid the pandemic.
Vivy wrote, "I understand the government's need to prioritise support to those who need it most and urgently. I never said it was wrong or that I don't care for the B40 as what is being circulated. My words were taken out of context and reinterpreted to say that I don't care about the B40. And that is the statement blindly being shared. That is not true."
On 2 April, the suit was issued to the defendant and she was asked to stop publishing any defamatory statements against Vivy on social media
Bernama reported that the defendant had allegedly replied to the suit through Facebook but failed to comply with all the plaintiff's demands.
Besides requesting the defendant to issue a statement of apology, Vivy is also seeking general, aggravated, and exemplary compensation, and an injunction for the defendant to delete the defamatory words.
