THE high court in George Town today postponed to February 21 the hearing of a defamation suit filed by Baling MP Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim against former Penang chief minister Lim Guan Eng in connection with an undersea tunnel construction project. 

Judge Rosilah Yop set the date in chambers following an application by lawyer Felix Lim, representing Lim, for a new hearing date, as his client could not attend today’s hearing due to other urgent matters.

The court had set today to continue hearing the case. Lim was supposed to testify today.

Azeez filed the suit in March last year, claiming that Lim, who is currently the Finance Minister, had issued defamatory statements during a press conference at the Chief Minister’s office on February 28, 2018, and during a Chinese New Year open house hosted by the Penang Development Corporation on the same day, linking him to a payment of RM3 million in consultation fee by the developer of the undersea tunnel project.

He claimed the statements gained widespread coverage and were published in a number of websites, electronic news sites and local newspapers, and is seeking, among others, general and exemplary damages and other relief deemed fit by the court. – Bernama, December 9, 2019.