THE Federal Court will hear on March 12 an application by Kepong MP Lim Lip Eng to strike out a suit against him by MCA over an allegation that it had misused public funds for Chinese schools.

Lim of DAP is raising a question of law on whether a political party have the capacity to sue an individual.

He will be represented by lawyer Gopal Sri Ram in the apex court.

MCA filed the suit on July 17, 2017, through then secretary-general Ong Ka Chuan, claiming that Lim had issued a defamatory statement at the Parliament lobby on March 15, 2017 to the media.

MCA , a Barisan Nasional component party, is seeking RM100 million in damages and an injunction to refrain Lim from repeating the statement.

Trial has been fixed for September 21 to 24, said Lim’s counsel Leong Yan Wen at court today.

Leong was at case management for the suit before Kuala Lumpur High Court judge Rozana Ali Yusof today.

MCA was represented by lawyer Tai Jun Yan.

Further case management has been set for March 19.

All high court proceedings may be postponed pending the outcome of the Federal Court hearing, Leong said.

The Court of Appeal previously upheld a high court decision last February 27, which ruled the issues brought on by MCA should be heard in a full trial. – January 30, 2020.