The Kuala Lumpur High Court will hear and decide on April 29 whether or not MCA Youth chief Wee Ka Siong should be cross-examined by Robert Phang's defence team in relation to his suit against Phang for linking him to the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) issue.

Judicial Commissioner Prasad Sandosham Abraham will hear Phang's application.

Phang had filed for leave to cross-examine Wee on certain statements he had made in his affidavit which were to be used in Wee's inter-parte injunction application to restrain Phang and Star Publications (M) Berhad from further publishing alleged defamatory statements.

The court was to hear Wee's application today but his counsel, Ben Chan, informed the court that he needed time to reply to Phang's application to cross-examine his client as he was served the document last Thursday.

Prasad ordered both parties to exchange the relevant documents by this week and he will alsi hear Wee's interparte injunction on April 29.

He said he did not want to drag the case and wanted to finish it by this month.

When Chan express his client's complaint over misreporting in an article on the case by a Chinese daily newspaper, Prasad advised him to deal with the newspaper.

Counsel Gobind Singh Deo, Ang Hean Leng and S.Prakash acted for Phang, and Yee Mei Ken and Chai Siew Wan, for Star Publications.

On Feb 9, Wee filed a defamation suit naming Phang, a Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commisssion (MACC) advisory committee member, and the English daily publisher as defendants over statements published between Dec 25, 2009, and Jan 12, 2010.

In his statement of claim, Wee, who is deputy education minister, claimed that the statements were understood to mean that he was involved in or committed the offence of corruption and/or abuse of power.

Besides the injunction, he also sought general damages, aggravated damages, exemplary damages and interest at eight per cent per anum.

Phang, 71, who is chairman of the Social Care Foundation, in his statement of defence, said his statements were fair comment and were made on an occasion of qualified privilege.

Also claiming qualified privilege, the Star, in its defence, said that as a responsible news publisher, it had the social and moral duty to report and publish the news and statements concerning Wee's involvement in PKFZ as they were of public interest and importance because he was a politician and a public figure.

- Bernama