Former inspector-general of police Hanif Omar's legal representative informed the High Court today that his client will file a counter-claim against the suit by DAP stalwart Lim Kit Siang.

Lawyer Shaharudin Ali disclosed this to reporters following the case management on the matter before senior assistant registrar Siti Norhidayah Mohd Noor at the High Court in Kuala Lumpur.

He said the court then directed Hanif to file his statement of defence and counter-claim before Dec 9, while Lim is to reply by Dec 19.

Shaharudin added that his client had also asked for further particulars on Lim's suit.

"The court has fixed Dec 20 for case management of the case," he said.

Lim filed the suit last month on the report published by Malay daily Sinar Harian on Sept 6, in which Hanif was quoted as stating that he was forced to incarcerate Lim for the sake of national harmony during the 1969 racial riots.

Hanif had said this when speaking at the Konvensyen Karamah Bangsa (Convention on Uplifting the Malay Race) held at Universiti Teknologi Mara in September.

Lim claimed that the words said at the convention meant that he was unethical and unprofessional, a criminal and that he was responsible in calling for the split of the country between Malays and Chinese.

The words also meant that Lim was not qualified to be an MP, that he was a racist, and had caused racial instability and unrest.

The Iskandar Puteri MP denied these assertions made by Hanif and wanted the former top cop to apologise, retract his statement, pay general, aggravated and exemplary damages and also sought an injunction against him from repeating the statement.

Lim was represented by lawyer Harshaan Zamani.