Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng is not in the least rattled by a defamation suit filed against him by state Opposition Leader Jahara Hamid for labelling her a “racist grandmother”.

Asked about it at a press conference today, Lim calmly replied, “See you (Jahara) in court.”

Lim even jibed at Jahara for seeking publicity with the case.

“She achieved her goal of seeking publicity by filing the suit against me,” he said.

“The state government will not publicly announce any summons filed against anyone, unlike Jahara,” he added.

Lim said this at a press conference after attending the Penang-Acheh Investment and Business Seminar memorandum of understanding (MOU) signing ceremony at Hotel Traders yesterday.

Accompanying him were Deputy Chief Minister II P Ramasamy, state Religious Affairs Committee chairperson Abdul Malik Abul Kassim and his special adviser Lee Kah Choon.

Lim said this when asked about Jahara’s press conference yesterday, at which she announced she had filed a defamation suit against Lim in the High Court in Penang.

Jahara wants a public apology

Jahara wants Lim to issue a public apology in all prominent newspapers - electronic and print - for undermining her 18-year career as a state assemblyperson by calling her “racist” for questioning the what she claimed to be selective actions against Malay hawkers by the Seberang Perai Municipal Council.

Lim also accused Jahara of “lying” for questioning if the state had approved the name change of Pulau Jerejak to Mahzu Island.

Mahzu is a Chinese deity and a statue of the goddess, which earlier sat on the grounds of an illegal temple on the island, has been demolished by the Penang Municipal Council.

Following several criticisms of him being sexist towards Jahara, Lim had apologised for calling her a grandmother but insisted that she was a “racist and a liar”.

Jahara is also seeking a court injunction to stop Lim and others for using the “racist grandmother” label on her.

She said she had no choice but to sue Lim as she had on Dec 23 urged him to apologise but he did not do so.