8
Laws of Malaysia
ACT 286
reasonably practicable on his part for notifying persons
to whom copies have been so distributed that the words
are alleged to be defamatory of the party aggrieved.
(4) Where an offer of amends under this section is accepted by
the party aggrieved—
(a) any question as to the steps to be taken in fulfilment of
the offer as so accepted shall in default of agreement
between the parties be referred to and determined by the
High Court, whose decision thereon shall be final;
(b) the power of the Court to make orders as to costs in
proceedings by the party aggrieved against the person
making the offer in respect of the publication in question,
or in proceedings in respect of the offer under paragraph
7(4)(a), shall include power to order the payment by the
person making the offer to the party aggrieved of costs
on an indemnity basis and any expenses reasonably incurred
or to be incurred by that party in consequence of the
publication in question,
and if no such proceedings as aforesaid are taken, the High Court
may, upon application made by the party aggrieved, make any
such order for the payment of such costs and expenses as aforesaid
as could be made in such proceedings.
(5) For the purposes of this section words shall be treated as
published by one person (in this subsection referred to as the
publisher) innocently in relation to another person if and only if
the following conditions are satisfied, that is to say—
(a) that the publisher did not intend to publish them of and
concerning that other person, and did not know of
circumstances by virtue of which they might be understood
to refer to him; or
(b) that the words were not defamatory on the face of them,
and the publisher did not know of circumstances by virtue
of which they might be understood to be defamatory of
that other person,
and in either case that the publisher exercised all reasonable care
in relation to the publication; and any reference in this subsection
to the publisher shall be construed as including a reference to any
servant or agent of his who was concerned with the contents of
the publication.