Teng files application to strike out Guan Eng’s defamation suit
GEORGE TOWN: Penang Barisan Nasional chairman Teng Chang Yeow has filed an application to strike out a defamation suit brought by Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng over the Pulau Jerejak issue.
Teng’s lawyer, Kek Boon Wei, applied to strike out the suit during case management, which was heard in chambers before judge Datuk Rosilah Yop yesterday morning.
Kek later said his client wanted to strike out the case on the ground that a chief minister should not be filing defamation suits.
“In this case, my client is trying to strike out the suit as the plaintiff is a chief minister. He should not use his position as a chief minister to file defamation suits.”
Rosilah set June 11 for hearing to strike out the application.
In April last year, Lim filed the suit naming Teng, who is also state Gerakan chairman, Star Media Group Bhd news editor David Tan and journalist Crystal Chiam Shiying as defendants.
In his statement of claim, Lim alleged that Teng had given the permission and/or caused the defamatory and false statements to be written and published in the newspaper and its website through the second, third and fourth defendants.
He claimed that the third and fourth defendants had maliciously published a defamatory and false statement in an article titled “Pulau Jerejak land sale questioned”, dated Nov 16, 2016, which referred to the plaintiff.
Lim is seeking general, exemplary and aggravated damages, interest, costs and other relief deemed fit by the court.
Teng’s lead counsel Datuk K. Kirubakaran was disqualified last month as he had represented the Penang government in an unrelated case.
The case involving acting state Gerakan Youth chief Jason Loo also came up for mention in chambers yesterday.
The case involved the three defamation suit filed by Lim on the Peel Avenue land sale recently.
Loo, together with his lawyer, said that they would file to strike out the defamation suits by Lim.
The case has been set for case management on May 14.