GEORGE TOWN, January 4 – Yesterday evening, my legal representatives obtained the sealed copy of the Writ and Statement of Claim, which will be formally served on Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Tan Kok Ping (“Tan Sri Tan”) regarding defamatory remarks he made during a press conference organized by the Penang Chinese Chamber of Commerce (“Chamber”) on October 18, 2023 (“Press Conference”). The Penang High Court has scheduled the first case management via e-Review for January 24, 2024.
In his capacity as the Chamber’s Life Honorary President, Tan Sri Tan conducted the Press Conference in relation to a Joint Development Agreement (“Agreement”) dated September 27, 2023, for a proposed development project between Penang Development Corporation (“PDC”) and Umech Land Sdn. Bhd. Despite PDC’s prior announcement of the termination of the Agreement to the media and the public on October 16, 2023, Tan Sri Tan intentionally made defamatory statements in Mandarin during the Press Conference aimed at undermining my character, credibility, competency, and capability as the Chief Minister of Penang and as the Chairman of PDC.
These defamatory statements were subsequently printed and published in various prominent Chinese language newspapers. As Tan Sri Tan has not taken any steps to apologize or retract the false statements, I am left with no choice but to initiate legal proceedings against him.
