GEORGE TOWN, Sept 10 — Former Penang chief minister Lim Guan Eng told the High Court here today that a post uploaded and shared by Perak PAS commissioner, Razman Zakaria in his Facebook account showed that Lim did not respect Islam.
Lim, who was testifying in his legal suit against Razman over a fake image link on the latter’s Facebook page, said the post uploaded by the defendant was defamatory, offensive, misleading and untrue.
“The slanderous statement that I supported a policy prohibiting Muslim hotel workers from wearing headscarves while working, had affected my position and reputation as an individual and also as Penang chief minister at the time,” he said in his witness statement read out before Judicial Commissioner, Datuk Amarjeet Singh.
Lim said he also never made any statement during his tenure as Penang chief minister in support of any policy prohibiting Muslim women hotel employees at the reception counters from wearing headscarves.
The former finance minister said the defendant as an experienced politician holding a high position in his party should be aware of the adverse consequences that might arise from the defamatory statement.
On January 22, 2018, Lim as the plaintiff filed a suit against Razman for uploading a fake image on his (Razman) social media account and posting a statement that was defamatory, false and malicious against Lim on November 18, 2017.
Razman stated in his post that Lim appeared supporting the ban on wearing headscarves, which was the right of hotel operators, and that Penang fully supported it.
In his statement of claim, Lim said the words used in Razman’s post were from an unauthentic source and aimed at tarnishing his name and reputation, and portraying the plaintiff as a leader who had no respect for Islam and Malay culture.
Lim is seeking general, exemplary and aggravated damages, and other relief deemed fit by the court in addition to applying for an order to prevent the defendant from issuing or publishing the same post again on any platform.
The court then set November 5 for oral submission by both parties. — Bernama
