GEORGE TOWN: The High Court today dismissed an application by Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng to strike out a defamation suit brought against him by Gerakan.
The court also ordered Lim to pay cost of RM2,500.
Judge Rozilah Yup, in her decision in Chambers, said, even though Gerakan had no public officer, it may still bring an action through an office bearer.
“In this case, Gerakan secretary-general Datuk Liang Teck Meng was not bringing the action as a representative action but was only acting in pursuant Section 9 (c) of the Societies Act 1966,” she said.
Rozilah then fixed Feb 9 for case management and for Lim to file his defence.
Gerakan was represented by lawyer Datuk Baljit Singh while Lim was represented by K. Simon Mureli.
On July 25, last year, Gerakan had filed a defamation suit against Lim for repeatedly alleging that the state’s former Barisan Nasional-led administration had sold a plot of prime land in Tanjung Pinang to a private company for a minimal premium of RM1 per sq ft.
In its suit, Gerakan had claimed that Lim’s oft-repeated statements over the past five years had painted a negative image of the previous administration and damaged its reputation.
The party had also claimed that Lim's actions had led to the people believing that the previous administration had engaged in corrupt practices, and causing them to lose trust.
The party had sought an apology from Lim, as well as general and exemplary damages and other relief deemed suitable by the court.
On Sept 7, Lim had filed an application to strike out the suit brought by Gerakan.