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GEORGE TOWN, Oct 25 — The High Court here dismissed today DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng’s defamation suit against Gerakan’s Jason Loo and two Chinese vernacular newspapers, ordering him to pay RM150,000 in costs.
High Court judge Datuk Rosilah Yop dismissed the suit against Loo, China Press Berhad and Guang Ming Ribao Sdn Bhd and ordered they each be paid RM50,000 in costs.
Rosilah said Lim’s witness, a translator, had admitted that the purportedly defamatory articles were not translated verbatim from the original printed editions.
“The articles should be translated to Bahasa Malaysia, not in English as tendered to court, as per the court requirements and the witness has also admitted using her own words in translating the articles,” she added.
Based on this, Rosilah found Lim’s case to be flawed and incomplete.
Lim, who is now the finance minister, sued Loo and China Press Berhad over an article titled “Jason Loo: One man decides, Pakatan Harapan DAP-led state government run by rule of one man” on May 29, 2017.
He sued Guang Ming Ribao over an article titled “Jason Loo urges Lim Guan Eng to explain why Peel Avenue land was sold prior to gazette” published the same date.
He also filed a separate suit against Loo over a press conference he held on the Peel Avenue land issue that was subsequently published in the newspapers.
Lim sought damages and a court order preventing Loo and the newspapers from publishing articles on the issue.
All three suits were heard together at the High Court.
Loo, who represented himself, told reporters outside the courtroom that today’s decision was a victory for all Penang residents.
“A lone ranger like me is not enough. All Penangites must practise check and balance of the present government,” he said.
