Gerakan to sue Lim for defamation

Penang CM alleged former administration sold reclaimed land at RM1 a sq ft

KUALA LUMPUR: Gerakan is set to sue Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng for allegedly issuing statements and articles repeatedly on the party and its former president Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon which it said is defamatory.

Its secretary-general Datuk Liang Teck Meng said Lim defamed the former Gerakan-led Penang state government and Koh, the former chief minister, with accusations that 396.6ha of reclaimed land in Tanjung Pinang were sold for RM42.7mil, or at RM1 per sq ft.

Liang said a notice of action was delivered to Lim yesterday, demanding that he apologise formally without condition to Gerakan through a press conference, within three days from yesterday.

“We will carry on with the legal suit even after he apologises because of his baseless statements. We in Gerakan, categorically refute Lim’s claims and condemn his actions that have caused Gerakan and Koh to be victims of ridicule by his baseless allegations.

“Our Law and Human Rights Bureau chairman Datuk Baljit Singh will represent the party in the suit,” Liang told reporters at Menara PGRM in Cheras here yesterday.

The decision was made during the party’s central committee meeting on June 17.

He said there was no such land sale as claimed by Lim, as it was actually a concession agreement of land reclamation awarded in 1992.

Last month, Baljit said 37% of the land reclaimed would be returned to KGM-PDC, with 19ha handed back to the Penang government for free.

Under Phase 2, he said 307ha was reclaimed, with 77ha handed back to Penang.

Liang also slammed Lim for claiming that the Registrar of Societies’ directive for DAP to hold fresh polls for its central executive committee was a sabotage by Barisan Nasional.