ALICIA TAN GEK CHENG v POK VIC SENT

[2026] SGDC 1 District Court 19 January 2026 • DC/OC 916/2022 • 89 min read

14 cases cited (11 SG, 3 foreign)

Catchwords

Tort — Defamation — Damages Tort — Defamation — Defamatory statements — Whether publications made to the sporting community about its sports association’s executive committee are defamatory in nature Tort — Defamation — Defamatory statements — Whether the contents of a special resolution submitted for an annual general meeting are defamatory in nature Tort — Defamation — Malice — Whether the defendant acted with malice by making the defamatory publications to prevent the claimant from serving on the executive committee of a sports association Tort — Defamation — Publication — Whether the creator of a collaborative online document that can be accessed and edited by multiple users is responsible for its publication Tort — Defamation — Qualified privilege – Whether the defence of qualified privilege applies to publications made to the sporting community about its sports association’s executive committee

Practice Areas

Tort

Judges (1)

Samuel Wee Delivered

Counsel (6)

Allen & Gledhill LLP Firm PDLegal LLC Firm Chua Ze Xuan Counsel Defendant Loong Tse Chuan Counsel Plaintiff Quek Wen Jiang, Gerard Counsel Defendant Tan Charlene Counsel Plaintiff

Parties (2)

Alicia Tan Gek Cheng Plaintiff Pok Vic Sent Defendant

Case Significance

[2026] SGDC 1 is a District Court decision dated 19 January 2026 concerning Tort, specifically addressing defamation. The judgment was delivered by Samuel Wee. The case was brought by Alicia Tan Gek Cheng (plaintiff) against Pok Vic Sent (defendant). Legal representation was provided by Allen & Gledhill LLP and PDLegal LLC. The judgment cites 14 cases (11 Singapore, 3 foreign) and references 1 statutory provision, namely the Defamation Act.

Summary

The former Honorary Secretary of the Singapore Ice Skating Association sued the president of an affiliated club for defamation over six publications criticising her governance of the association. The court found the defendant liable for four of the six publications, awarding $190,000 in total comprising $130,000 in general damages and $60,000 in aggravated damages, finding the defendant acted with malice in his vendetta to remove the claimant from the executive committee.

What was decided in [2026] SGDC 1?

[2026] SGDC 1 (ALICIA TAN GEK CHENG v POK VIC SENT) is a District Court decision from 19 January 2026 addressing Tort, specifically defamation. The judgment was delivered by Samuel Wee.

Who were the parties in ALICIA TAN GEK CHENG v POK VIC SENT?

The plaintiff in [2026] SGDC 1 was Alicia Tan Gek Cheng, and the defendant was Pok Vic Sent. Legal representation included PDLegal LLC and Allen & Gledhill LLP. The case was decided on 19 January 2026 in the District Court.

Which judge decided [2026] SGDC 1?

[2026] SGDC 1 was delivered by Samuel Wee in the District Court on 19 January 2026. The case concerned Tort.

What cases and statutes does [2026] SGDC 1 cite?

[2026] SGDC 1 cites 14 prior decisions, including 3 from foreign jurisdictions. It references Defamation Act.

Statutes Cited

Defamation Act

s 5

Cases Cited (14)

SG (2)

[2020] SGHC 278 [2023] SGDC 158

SLR (9)

[1997] 3 SLR(R) 46 [2001] 1 SLR(R) 86 [2010] 4 SLR 357 [2012] 1 SLR 506 [2013] 2 SLR 478 [2015] 2 SLR 751 [2016] 3 SLR 729 [2022] 3 SLR 924 [2024] 5 SLR 194

UK (2)

[1937] 1 KB 818 [2013] 1 WLR 2151

HK (1)

[2013] 5 HKC 253

Judgment

Read the full judgment on the official Singapore Courts portal.

Read on eLitigation

Source: eLitigation ([2026] SGDC 1)