GEORGE TOWN, Jan 6 — Bagan Jermal assemblyman Lim Hock Seng today threatened to sue Utusan Malaysia unless it publishes a front-page apology over an article accusing him of assault on December 22 last year.

In a legal notice sent to the Umno-linked newspaper, Lim gave it a week from today to print an apology and retract the article that he alleged was defamatory.

“The retraction and apology must be published on a prominent section on the front page of Utusan Malaysia and they will have to compensate me on a sum to be agreed upon for publishing the defamatory article,” Lim said in his legal notice issued by his counsel, Karpal Singh & Co.

Lim warned that a failure by the newspaper to comply within the stipulated time will result in him initiating defamation action against it.

In the offending article, “Lelaki dakwa dipukul wakil rakyat DAP” (Man alleges assault by DAP state assemblyman), Utusan Malaysia reported that a man had accused Lim of beating him before chasing him out of his service centre.

The article also reported that the man, 36-year-old G. Paradase Naidu, had lodged a police report to the effect.

The state executive councillor, in his legal notice, said the words used in the article were without basis and contained malicious intent to defame him.

“I did not beat up Paradase as he alleged and I also lodged a police report against the man to deny that I scolded or beat him,” Lim told a press conference today.

The Penang lawmaker said he knew Paradase as a constituent who frequented his service centre along Jalan Raja Uda, allegedly to ask for money.

“He often come to see me to ask for money so I know him,” he said.

He explained that on the day of the alleged assault, he had been in the midst of a meeting at his service centre when Paradase allegedly barged in and interrupted the meeting.

“I told him to wait outside and let me finish the meeting but he refused so I had to firmly tell him to leave but I did not beat him up, I have four other people in the meeting with me who saw everything,” he said.