Controversy
On September 20, 2011, Lim Guan Eng participated in an interview conducted by Australia Broadcasting Corporation where he was reported by the Malaysian news agency, Bernama, to have disparaged the security of the state of Johor. Lim Guan Eng insisted he never mentioned Johor, and demanded that Bernama retract their story and issue a formal apology, or face a lawsuit. However, a recording was later revealed by the government controlled television channel, TV3, showing clear evidence of Lim Guan Eng proclaiming that Singaporeans who are in Johor are "likely to be kidnapped". The recording of Lim Guan Eng's remark was made in Singapore. This led Lim Guan Eng to issue a formal apology to the Sultan of Johor.
On December 14, 2011, Lim has won the defamation suit against Malay daily Utusan Malaysia, which has been ordered by the Penang High Court to pay a total of RM200,00 worth of damages and a cost of RM25,000 to him. Utusan Malaysia had allegedly publishing a false, malicious and defamatory news article about Lim. Judge Varghese George Varughese has found seven paragraphs on Utusan Malaysia's article entitled "Kebiadapan Guan Eng" (Guan Eng's Arrogance) which had defamed his political career, and subsequently picturing him and DAP as anti-Malay and anti-Muslim. Lim was represented by Jagdeep Singh Deo, his lawyer. On January 2011 Lim has filed the suit at the Penang High Court. The article which was published on December 2010, accused DAP as tool for foreign government in undermining the Malaysian federal government and urged DAP to be banned. The Malay daily also claimed Lim as being racist and anti-Malay after the Pakatan Rakyat 2010 Convention. However, judge G.V Varughese has said that the article was mere rhetoric and not backed by facts. He added that there was also no verification of information in the article as the writer of the article had said that there was a boycott of Utusan Malaysia and therefore, could not verify the facts.
Earlier in 2012 Penang state UMNO Youth Chief Shaik Hussein Mydin accused the Penang state government had violated laws that it had sold the Bayan Mutiara land to developer Ivory Property Group Berhad without subdividing the land. He also claimed that the state government sold the land without open tender and made no provision for mosques. However, Lim Guan Eng had shown evidence that it has been sold via open tender and thus explained that the developer would only do the subdividing when it submits development plans for the 41.5-ha real estate to Penang Municipal Council. The developer had clarified that land for the mosque and school has been allocated and adhered to the town planning regulation after the new plans and subdivision of title has been submitted.
On June 22, 2011 Lim has won the second defamation suit against Utusan Malaysia, which was ordered by the Penang High Court to pay a total of RM200,000 worth of damages and RM20,000 in costs to the former. The Malay daily had been found guilty by the court of defaming Lim in a published news article headlined "Tiada Lagi DEB" (No More NEP), which said that Lim would abolish the New Economic Policy. Lim claimed that the article was false and inaccurate.
Read more about this topic: Lim Guan Eng
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