Penang state assembly opposition leader Jahara Hamid has filed a defamation suit at the Penang High Court against Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng alleging he has accused her of being a "racist and malicious" leader.

The remark was made in December at a state assembly session.

 

Jahara also claimed that Lim had allegedly "twisted my speech with slander".

 

"The accusations are very damaging, not only to my image but also to my credibility as a people's representative for 18 years, and destroys my relationship with the rakyat," she said at her service centre in Telok Ayer Tawar, Butterworth today.

 

"I need to seek justice. His allegations are wrong. He has twisted facts for political mileage and given me a bad image. This unhealthy politics," she added.

 

"An apology from him is secondary, the damage is done," said the Telok Ayer Tawar assemblywoman.

 

The summons will be served to Lim ( left ) tomorrow.

 

Jahara said she was saddened after reading the state assembly's Hansard as it clearly showed that Lim had lowered her dignity as a woman.

 

She was responding to Lim's remark on Dec 9 where he described Jahara as "an unreasonable and racist grandmother " over her questions in the state assembly that day that related to selective action being taken against Malay hawkers by the Seberang Perai Municipal Council.

 

A day later, Lim apologised to Jahara for using the term "grandmother" on her, but he maintained that she was "racist."

On Dec 23, Jahara gave Lim a chance to apologise over the matter but DAP secretary general had refused to do so.

Her lawyer Jaharberdeen Mohamed Yunoos, who was present at the press conference, spelled out the demands made on Lim.

 

"Lim had also made serious allegations that Jahara was inciting racial tension with her remarks, which is untrue," he said.

 

"What we want with this suit is to restore Jahara's reputation so a simple and honest apology is the first step."

 

 Although Lim had earlier declined to do so, Jaharberdeen said they still wanted it from him and it must be made in the print and electronic media.

 

He added that Jahara is not asking for any compensation as "she is not after money but only wants to restore her reputation".

 

Jahara is also applying for an injunction to prevent Lim and others from making similar utterances against her.