FORMER trade and industry minister Mohamed Azmin Ali has refuted claims that he made any defamatory statement against former finance minister Lim Guan Eng in his speech during the last general election (GE15) campaign in Lunas, Kedah on November 12. 

In his statement of defence against the suit filed against him, Azmin denied he had uttered the word “langsi” and said the burden of proving it should fall on Lim.  

“It was never the defendant’s intention to slander the plaintiff; in fact he only stated the things that happened when the plaintiff, together with the defendant led the Pakatan Harapan government from May 2018 until March 2020,” he said in a statement filed at the Sungai Petani High Court on Monday.  

Azmin said he was only criticising the government at that time where Lim was part of the ruling administration and the government policies that were used against several companies. 

In his lawsuit filed against Azmin on April 17, Lim claimed Azmin had made defamatory statements against him at an event in Lunas, Kedah on November 12 last year before GE15, which was attended by media covering the election campaign. 

Lim claimed that Mohamed Azmin had portrayed him as arrogant, and his arrogance had scared the business community, which was reported in The Star on November 13 last year. 

In his statement of claim, Lim, who is also former Penang chief minister, said the offending statements that made specific reference to his alleged conduct during his tenure as finance minister had injured his credibility and reputation. 

He said the statements in their natural and ordinary meaning claimed he had abused his power as then-finance minister by using government agencies for improper purposes. 

Lim said the statements were defamatory and disparaged him in his personal standing, his official capacity, and profession. 

He is seeking general damages, aggravated and exemplary damages, and an unconditional apology from Azmin to be published in The Star and The Star Online. 

On August 8, the Sungai Petani High Court had granted Lim’s application to serve his defamation suit against Azmin via substitute service by way of publishing it in the newspapers.  

Substituted service is to deliver documents in public litigation in the form of letters, advertisements to be published in newspapers, or any other method that allows the proceeding to gain the attention of the defendant after a personal delivery of documents could not be effected. – Bernama, September 29, 2023.