KUALA LUMPUR: The Georgetown High Court today has ordered Kepala Batas member of parliament (MP) Dr Siti Mastura Muhammad to file her defence statement on or before Jan 11, 2024, in the lawsuit brought by three DAP leaders against her.
The suit was filed separately by DAP chairman Lim Guan Eng, his father Tan Sri Lim Kit Siang, and Seputeh MP Teresa Kok Suh Sim as plaintiffs.
They were filed on Nov 27 concerning a speech by Siti Mastura at a ceramah during the campaign period for the Kemaman by-election last month.
Lawyer Datuk Sankara Nair court said the court had also ordered the three plaintiffs to reply to the statement of defence on or before Jan 26, 2024.
Also appearing for the plaintiffs were Jaden Phoon Wai Ken and Wong Guo Jin, while Mohamad Hakim Faharmi Hassan appeared for the defendant.
"The case management was by e-review before Senior Assistant Registrar Tunku Intan Nadiah Tunku Muhammed Nazarin. The next case management is fixed on Feb 2, 2024," said Sankara.
Guan Eng was the first to initiate legal proceedings against Siti Mastura, followed by Kok and later Kit Siang.
The three plaintiffs had claimed that Siti Mastura had allegedly made a defamatory remark against them, linking them to the Communist Party and its leader, Chin Peng, as well as Singapore's Lee Kuan Yew.
Siti Mastura, also Penang Pas Muslimat deputy chief, claimed that Kit Siang, his son Guan Eng, and the latter's wife Betty Chew had ties to Chin Peng and Lee.
She also mentioned other DAP leaders, including Kok, Teluk Intan MP Nga Kor Ming, and Beruas MP Ngeh Koo Ham.