PSM's Sungai Siput MP Dr D Jeyakumar today filed a defamation suit against DAP's Sungkai state assemblyperson A Sivanesan at the Ipoh High Court.

The move came more than a month after Jeyakumar demanded an apology from Sivanesan for allegedly casting doubt on the former's asset declaration exercise and claiming that the PSM lawmaker had hidden some of his assets.

Jeyakumar, in a statement today, said his lawyer had sent a letter of demand to Sivanesan on May 23 but the DAP lawmaker in a reply on May 29 insisted that his statement was not defamatory.

He added that prior to filing the suit, he had sought for DAP leaders to intervene but to no avail.

"I had contacted Perak DAP's Beruas MP Ngeh Koo Ham and Batu Gajah MP V Sivakumar to advise Sivanesan to apologise and retract his statement.

"After that I contacted DAP's Kluang MP Liew Chin Tong and Seremban MP Anthony Loke, asking them to intervene and resolve this issue as I was reluctant to take Sivanesan, a state assemblyperson from DAP, to court.

"But these efforts were unsuccessful," he said.

Jeyakumar added that apart from asking Sivanesan for an apology and retraction of his statement, he had not demanded other compensation.

"For us at PSM, the annual declaration of assets is an obligation for all members who become local councillors, state assemblyperson or MPs.

"Failing to declare assets completely is tantamount to lying to the people. Therefore, Sivanesan's claims on May 21 carries with it serious implications.

"It is for this reason that I am forced to file this case against Sivanesan," he said.