Penang Umno chairman’s suit against CM dismissed

(The Star) – Penang Umno chairman Datuk Zainal Abidin Osman‘s RM30mil defamation suit against Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and three others has been dismissed.

High Court judge Justice Amelia Tee Hong Geok Abdullah struck out the suit with costs Monday.

Lim’s lawyer Jagdeep Singh Deo said the judge upheld their preliminary objection that Zainal Abidin (pic) had no legal rights to sue the four parties as there was no proof he sued had the defendants as an office bearer of Umno.

In her 11-page written judgment, Justice Amelia said the court was of the view that Zainal Abidin was not authorised to commence civil action on behalf of Penang Umno’s liaison committee as he was not the public officer registered by the Registrar of Societies for the purpose of suing on behalf of Penang Umno.

“The plaintiff cannot, in the dying minutes, attempt to suggest that the plaintiff was mounting a representative action,” she said.

Justice Amelia said the court also ruled that representative actions cannot be taken in defamatory proceedings.

On Oct 24 last year, Zainal Abidin filed a RM30mil defamation suit against Lim and three others over an alleged defamatory statement made by Lim published in the Keadilan Daily portal in July.

Zainal named Lim (in his personal capacity), PKR, publisher Segmen Fleksibel Sdn Bhd and portal chief news editor Fazallah Pit as defendants.