Former Penang municipal councillor Lim Boo Chang has issued a demand notice to a Penang DAP leader for retraction and apology over remarks labelling him as a “frog” with no human character.

Lim, through his legal office, Lim Boo Chang & Co, issued the letter to Komtar assemblyperson Ng Wei Aik yesterday.

It was sent by hand to Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng's office on Komtar's 28th floor, as Ng is Lim's political secretary.

When contacted, Ng said he has yet to receive any legal notice from “either human or katak (frog)”.

“How can a katak (frog) engage a lawyer to give me legal notice?” he queried sarcastically.

Ng, who is state DAP secretary, was given 24 hours’ notice to publish in full and complete, his retraction, and apologise to Lim in the press for his remarks.

pkr members quit party 171211 right lim boo chang Ng was also asked to promise Lim (right in photo) that he would never again publish such remarks against the former two-term Datuk Keramat assemblyperson (from 1984-1999).

He has “to pay our client a proper and suitable sum as damages for the injury to his reputation and for the embarassment and distress caused to him,” said the legal notice.

He has “to indemnify our client in respect of the costs which he will have incurred in this matter, failing which our client has no alternative but to institute legal proceedings against you without further notice,” the letter added.

Disenchantment with state gov’t

Lim has taken issue with Ng's remarks in a report in the Chinese language daily Kwong Wah Jit Poh on Dec 18, headlined ‘Wanting to go can go, don't find excuses - Pakatan Rakyat refutes Lim Boo Chang's allegations for leaving the party’.

The report was subtitled ‘Ng Wei Aik: Fabricating facts, only have frog’s character, no human character’, which critised Lim for quiting his post as councillor and all other posts in PKR.

NONE Ng's (left) remarks were in response to Lim quiting all his party and council posts due to disenchantment with the state government, PKR and DAP, and wanting to rejoin his former party of 15 years, Gerakan.

Lim has been labelled “frog” by his detractors for jumping parties twice, from Gerakan to MCA in 1999, and from MCA to PKR in 2008, after the 12th general election.

In his quit announcement, he denounced DAP as being “arrogant and abusive” due to its having a huge majority of 19 seats in the state - PKR has nine, PAS one, and the remaining 11 belongs to Umno.

Lim had also slammed the Penang municipal council for having lost its autonomy due to the chief minister having intervened in its decisions many times.

In the legal letter, Ng was told that his statement was not supported by facts, the allegations were completely unfounded, and were an unjustifiable attack on him.

“Therefore, your said statement constitutes a slander on our client as it has imputed on his character.

“And it was deliberately made and maliciously intended by you to harm our client’s reputation by lowering his image and status in the esteem of the general public,” the letter added.

The letter said Lim has been “injured” in his credit and reputation and has been brought to public hatred, odium and contempt and has suffered loss and damages.