Guan Eng wins defamation suit against NST

Looi Sue-Chern Looi Sue-Chern Updated 7 years ago · Published on 2 Nov 2018 11:40AM · 4 Comments

Former Penang chief minister Lim Guan Eng sued the New Straits Times Press over an article inferring that he had meddled in Islamic affairs while he was in charge of the state. – The Malaysian Insight file pic, November 2, 2018.

THE New Straits Times today apologised in court to former Penang chief minister Lim Guan Eng for running an article last year, which accused him of interfering in Islamic affairs.

Lim sued the NST for defamation over the article “Political intervention was real, says PAS – Guan Eng had hand in non-renewal of mufti’s contract” published in the Sunday edition of the English daily, the New Sunday Times, on February 5, 2017.

The story quoted Penang PAS Youth chief Afnan Hamimi Taib Azamudden as saying Lim was involved in the decision not to renew the contract of state mufti Hassan Ahmad in 2014.

The PAS leader alleged in a Facebook post that Hassan was dropped because he had enforced a law which banned non-Muslims from using the word “Allah” and 39 other words deemed exclusive to Muslims.

In a statement read out by Lim’s lawyer, Simon Murali, before Penang High Court judge Rosilah Yop today, the English daily’s editor-in-chief admitted that the article was defamatory to Lim, who is now finance minister.

“We hereby apologise unconditionally and unreservedly to YB Tuan Lim Guan Eng for the publication of the said article and express our deepest regret for the hardship and anguish caused to him,” the statement read.

Simon mentioned the case in court for the lawyers representing NST from Sufian TH Liew and Partners. None of the defence counsels was present in court this morning for the consent judgment.

Rosilah ordered NST to pay Lim RM200,000 in damages and publish its apology on the third page of its Sunday edition with a photo of Lim attached within 14 days of the consent judgment. – November 2, 2018.

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Comments

  • Listening to PAS dogs for telling the lies. NST should know the consequence. Bila ia akan bankrup macam Utusan.

    Posted 7 years ago by Jackal Way · Reply

  • Well done again LGE. Taught nst a lesson. Sue that pas fellow toooo.

    Posted 7 years ago by Lipdah Lia · Reply

  • Gutter journalism ends in tong tahi jamban. Shareholders should start suing management for putting idiots to manage the newspaper. When do they ever learn that they are andwerable to ALL shareholders - not UMNO alone. But then, who cares about toilet paper that NST is

    Posted 7 years ago by Arshad Lazim · Reply

  • What NST ? what paper ? I never read it before.

    Posted 7 years ago by TC BOY · Reply