Guan Eng wins suit against Umno papers, Perkasa leader

Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng was awarded RM550,000 in damages by the High Court against a Perkasa leader and three Umno related newspapers for claiming that he had leaked national secrets to Singapore's ruling PAP party in 2011. – The Malaysian Insider pic, March 26, 2015.The High Court today awarded Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng RM550,000 in damages against a senior Perkasa leader and three Umno related newspapers for claiming that he had leaked national secrets to Singapore's ruling PAP party in 2011.

Judge Datuk Nor Bee Ariffin said Lim, who is also DAP secretary-general, had proven his case against the defendants on the balance of probability.
 
Lim, represented by Americk Sidhu, filed the suit in June 2012, naming the NST, Utusan Malaysia, Perkasa information officer and Umno member, Ruslan Kassim, Perkasa president Datuk Ibrahim Ali, the then NST group editor Datuk Syed Nadzri Syed Harun and Utusan group editor-in-chief Abdul Aziz Ishak as defendants.

Perkasa was ordered to pay RM150,000, while NSTP, which owns both the New Straits Times and Berita Harian, and Utusan were ordered to pay RM200,000 each in damages.

Lim was further awarded a total cost of RM60,000.

The quantum is for the aggravated and exemplary damages caused to Lim by the defendants for running a comment piece by Ruslan, who alleged that Lim was a spy for Singapore and that he revealed national secrets to Peoples' Action Party (PAP) leaders during a meeting in Singapore in August 2011.

It was reported that the articles published by the three dailies on October 2, 2011, were based on a statement by Ruslan uploaded on the website "pribumiperkasa.com".

Americk said no damages were ordered against Ibrahim, but Lim had to include him as a party to the suit because the Perkasa president was a principal office bearer.

The Malaysian Insider had reported December 16 (2011) of Lim’s intention to file the suit after the newspapers omitted him from an apology to two other personalities over an article it admitted was without any foundation or basis.

The NST, Berita Minggu and Mingguan Malaysia had apologised to Datuk Seri Kalimullah Hassan on October 23 (2011) for alleging that he had leaked state secrets at a dinner with PAP leaders.

All three acknowledged that the claim, made by Ruslan, was without any foundation or basis.

The weekend papers had also promised not to publish further allegations of this nature involving the ECM Libra Financial Group Bhd chairman without prior verification.

On October 2, 2011 the NST, Berita Minggu and Mingguan Malaysia, quoting Ruslan, alleged that Kalimullah had leaked national secrets during the dinner in Singapore.

The next day Lim publicly demanded an apology from the NST and Mingguan Malaysia for also alleging that he had leaked national secrets at the same dinner.

The English daily reported that Perkasa had claimed that there was a dinner arranged for three Malaysian personalities, including the Penang chief minister, and top Singapore politicians in August.

Ruslan had questioned the motive behind the dinner that was allegedly attended by Malaysia Airlines board member Datuk Mohamad Azman Yahya, businessman Kalimullah, Lim and PAP leaders.

- TMI