DAP leaders sue PAS MP for unproven claims that they are related to Lee Kuan Yew, Chin Peng

November 30, 2023

DAP leaders sue PAS MP for unproven claims that they are related to Lee Kuan Yew, Chin Peng

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 29 — Lim Kit Siang, Lim Guan Eng and Teresa Kok have initiated three separate defamation suits against Kepala Batas MP Siti Mastura Muhammad from PAS for making unsubstantiated remarks linking them to Singapore founder Lee Kuan Yew and former communist fighter Chin Peng in what they claimed was an attempt to tarnish their reputations.

All three suits were filed by Datuk Sankara Nair of Messrs SN Nair & Partners at the High Court in George Town, Penang on November 27, according to a statement of claims released to the media today.

The three DAP leaders are seeking compensation from Siti Mastura whom they accused of committing both libel and slander that damaged their reputations through a TikTok video posted on an online news portal earlier this month.
All three DAP leaders also want the court to issue an injunction to restrain Siti Mastura from uttering, writing, publishing or distributing the same or similar statements.

In their court filings, the Lim father-and-son as well as Kok claimed Siti Mastura made a series of statements in her speech alluding to them directly and indirectly in a ceramah held in Kemaman, Terengganu around November 4.

Snippets from a video clip captured by the news outlet were then subsequently republished on TikTok two days later.

“As a result of the impugned slanderous and/or libellous words, the plaintiff’s reputation has been irreparably damaged where in the plaintiff’s character and social creditworthiness have been severely tarnished, degraded, and exposed to inter alia, severe public ridicule, scandal, hatred, odium, condemnation, humiliation and opprobrium,” the DAP trio said in their statements of claim.

The High Court has set case management of their suits on December 12 and 19.

Siti Mastura, who is deputy chief of PAS’ women’s wing Muslimat, had previously claimed in the video that Guan Eng’s wife Betty Chew is related to Seputeh MP Teresa Kok, Local Government Development Minister Nga Kor Ming and Bernas MP Ngeh Koo Ham.

Kit Siang, Guan Eng, and Kok demanded Siti Mastura retract and apologise for her remarks.

But she has denied their claims.

Federal police are currently investigating Siti Mastura under Section 505(b) of the Penal Code for statements leading to public alarm and distress and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act for improper use of network facilities or network services.