Peguam Negara Malaysia
v. MKINI Dotcom Sdn Bhd & Anor
454
[2021] 2 MLRA
dalam Akta Keterangan 1950. Tujuan peruntukan anggapan berasaskan
owner honest principal, dengan izin, adalah untuk meringankan beban
pembuktian berhubung dengan fakta tertentu. Walau bagaimanapun,
pihak pendakwa yang ingin bersandar kepada peruntukan anggapan mesti
membuktikan terlebih dahulu kewujudan fakta-fakta tertentu sebelum
anggapan boleh dibuat terhadap seseorang.
Apabila wujud keterangan yang cukup untuk dibuat anggapan terhadap
seseorang dan mahkamah berpuas hati bahawa anggapan boleh dibuat, beban
pembuktian untuk membuktikan atau menyangkal anggapan itu berpindah
kepada orang yang terhadapnya anggapan dibuat. Beban pembuktian orang
yang terhadapnya anggapan dibuat adalah atas imbangan kebarangkalian,
dengan izin, balance of probabilities yang lebih ringan daripada beban
pembuktian yang diletakkan ke atas pihak pendakwa.”
[Emphasis Added]
[49] From the above speech, it is apparent that the challenges in identifying
cybercriminal trickle down to tracing the offenders who naturally can hide
behind the cloak of internet anonymity. Although the email address, IP address,
location, owner of the computer can be traced, the verification of the identity
of the sender or commentator remains difficult. This warranted a provision
on presumption based on the ‘owner’s honest principal’ to ease the burden of
proof in respect of certain facts. At first blush, the principal actor such as the
internet owner etc should be the first target to be imputed with liability.
[50] However, the Minister in his statement did caution that the Public
Prosecutor must be able to prove the existence of the basic facts before invoking
that presumption.
[51] Plainly stated, the presumption in s 114A is a rebuttable one. Rebuttal
raised must be on the balance of probabilities.
Rebuttals Raised By The Respondents
[52] The respondents attempted to rebut that presumption, taking the line of
defence that they are not to be held responsible simply because they have no
knowledge of the impugned comments. After all, they were not originated or
authored by them.
[53] The 1st respondent denied having knowledge through an affidavit deposed
by its Director, Premesh Chandaran s/o Jeyachandran dated 29 June 2020 (in
Encl 32). The denial of knowledge was anchored on the following facts:
(i) there was no requirement under the law which obligates the respondents
to moderate every comment posted by the third party subscribers;
(ii) neither of them authored the impugned comments;
(iii) neither of them were involved in the posting of the impugned comments;