Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng told the High Court in Kuala Lumpur yesterday he disagreed that the statement made by Perkasa about his meeting with a People’s Action Party (PAP) senior leader in Singapore as merely an opinion of Perkasa’s information chief Ruslan Kassim.

He also disagreed that the statement made by Ruslan on Perkasa’s website was not intended to defame him.

Guan Eng was replying to questions from counsel Auzan Sazali, who represented Ruslan, Perkasa president Ibrahim Ali and Perkasa, on the first day of the defamation trial against them and four others.  

Guan Eng, who is also Bagan member of parliament in Penang, further said that the statement published by Ruslan was directed at him and not just at businessmen Mohamad Azman Yahya and Kalimullah Hassan.

Auzan: I put it to you that the statement was not directed at you (Guan Eng) because it stated, “Perkasa calls on Mohamad Azman to come forward and explain if on Aug 12 2011, Kalimullah and Guan Eng had a secret meeting and dinner with a senior leader from PAP in Singapore.”

Guan Eng: I disagree because it was directed at me.

Meanwhile, in his witness statement, Guan Eng denied that he had a secret meeting and dinner with any PAP leader in Singapore and that the matter was corroborated by Mohamad Azman and Kalimullah.

Guan Eng, who was represented by counsel Americk Sidhu, said Ruslan’s allegation that the meeting's agenda was to expose Malaysia’s official secrets to the government of Singapore constituted a libel against him.

On May 11, 2012, Guan Eng (plaintiff) filed a defamatory suit against Ruslan, Ibrahim, Perkasa, New Straits Times (NST) former group editor Syed Nadri Syed Harun, The New Straits Times Press (M) Berhad, Utusan Melayu (M) Berhad group editor-in-chief Abdul Aziz Ishak and Utusan Melayu (M) Berhad.

In his statement of claim, Guan Eng claimed that Ruslan had published a statement on Perkasa’s website on Oct 1, 2011 asking Mohamad Azman to explain his (Guan Eng’s) meeting with Kalimullah and a PAP senior leader in Singapore on Aug 12, 2011.   

The DAP secretary-general claimed that the statement implied that he (Guan Eng) was endangering national security by exposing the country’s secrets to Singapore.

He is seeking general, exemplary and special damages for RM15 million as well as interest, costs and other relief deemed fit by the court.

Guan Eng is also seeking for an apology on the front pages of the NST and Utusan and a promise by the dailies that they would not repeat the alleged defamatory statements.

The trial before Judge Nor Bee Ariffin continues today.

- Bernama