Court dismisses Abdul Azeez's suit against Lim Guan Eng

GEORGE TOWN: The High Court here today dismissed a defamation suit filed by Baling MP Datuk Seri Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim against former Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng in connection with the construction of the Penang undersea tunnel project.

The decision was read by deputy registrar L. Umma Devi on behalf of judge Datuk Rosilah Yop in chambers, in the presence of counsel Mohamed Fudhail Ahmad Zulaini who represented Abdul Azeez as the plaintiff as well as counsels Datuk N. Mureli and Felix Lim who represented Lim as the defendant.

Mureli when met by reporters outside the court said the court rejected the suit made by the plaintiff (Abdul Azeez) at a cost of RM50,000.

He said the court found that the plaintiff had failed to prove his claim against the defendant.

Abdul Azeez filed the suit in March 2018, claiming that Lim, who was then the Finance Minister, had issued defamatory statements during a press conference at the Penang Chief Minister's office on Feb 28, 2018, and during a Chinese New Year open house hosted by the Penang Development Corporation on the same day, connecting him (Abdul Azeez) with a payment of RM3 million in consultation fee by the developer of the undersea tunnel project.

Azeez claimed the statements gained widespread coverage and was published in a number of websites, electronic news sites and local newspapers, and is thus seeking, among others, general and exemplary damages and other relief deemed fit by the court.

He also applied for an injunction to prevent the defendant from republishing the statements.

-- BERNAMA