GEORGE TOWN, Mar 17 – Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has been sued for defamation by Guang Ming Daily journalist Ong Beng Siang, 40, over a Facebook post criticising the latter. Ong filed lawsuit at the Penang High Court this morning to demand for damages as well as an injunction to stop the Penang lawmaker from making further defamatory statements against him.
In his statement of claim, Ong said Lim had attacked his report in Guang Ming Daily regarding a land issue involving a Chinese school. Lim had allegedly said on Facebook: “We know there are reporters who want to sully the Penang government. If they want to topple the Penang government please state it, but do not publish baseless reports.”
Lim had, in the January 22 Facebook post, also called Ong unethical, immoral, unprofessional and accused him of wanting to topple the Penang state government. The cited post had named Ong personally and further described him as “not fit” to be a reporter, besides containing Lim’s demand for an apology.
Ong, who is represented by Baljit Singh, is seeking aggravated damages, exemplary damages, costs and other relief deemed fit by the court. Meanwhile, Ong’s lawyer Baljit Singh also told the reporters that there were a legal notice was sent to Lim’s office on March 6, but there had been no reply.
In another event elsewhere, Lim said he is not sure what the case was about, when asked for comment. He said he will let his lawyer, Simon Murali, the same lawyer who handled my suit against Utusan, to handle this case. He said this after the launching of Penang @CAT Programme.
