Zainal Abidin Osman has filed a RM30 million defamation suit against Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng with regard to statements linking the Penang Umno chief with street demonstrations and attempted arson of the state DAP headquarters.

Datuk Zainal Abidin Osman, penang umno chief Zainal Abidin, 51 ( left ), filed the suit in his personal capacity at the Civil High Court through Messrs Jahaberdeen & Co in Kuala Lumpur today.

He named Lim who is DAP secretary-general, the owners and publishers of online news portal Keadilan Daily and Suara Keadilan Daily , namely Parti Keadilan Rakyat and Segmen Fleksibel Sdn Bhd respectively, and chief editor Fazallah Pit as defendants.

In his statement of claim the plaintiff alleged that Lim had emailed a press statement to Keadilan Daily which they published the same day and which later appeared on July 5 in Suara Keadilan .

Lim’s statement had implied he was behind attempts to overthrow the Penang chief minister and also the street demonstrations in Komtar and Penang Bridge on July 1, claimed Zainal Abidin.

He said Lim on Aug 18 had also made a slanderous statement before a group of reporters which was published on The Malaysian Insider news portal the same day implying that the plaintiff planned to sabotage the DAP office and was involved in the arson attempt.

He said the statement has tarnished his reputation and jeorpadised Umno’s trust in him.

The plaintiff claimed RM30 million plus interest and cost in damages and any other relief deemed fit by the court as well as an injunction to stop the defendants from publishing the alleged defamatory statements.

- Bernama