UMNO Youth chief Datuk Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh has expressed gratitude to friends and members of the public who bought his farmed tilapia and asked him to donate the fish to needy residents in his constituency.
Akmal said he was deeply touched by their generosity as they helped him raise funds to cover RM300,000 in damages and legal costs.
“There are no words to thank each and every one of you individually, except to express my deepest gratitude.
“Thank you once again,” he said in a Facebook post on Thursday.
He also shared screenshots of conversations with acquaintances who offered to buy his tilapia for RM100 per fish, on the condition that the fish be donated to residents in Merlimau.
Akmal had earlier put his Honda X-ADV motorcycle and farmed tilapia up for bidding to raise money for the payment.
He said the decision was made after assessing his financial situation, including his existing savings, which were still insufficient to cover the full RM300,000 sum.
Akmal also thanked members of the public who had suggested setting up a donation fund to help him, but said he preferred to try selling his own assets first.
On Monday, he was ordered to pay Seputeh MP Teresa Kok RM300,000 in damages and costs following a defamation suit filed against him in 2024.
