Guan Eng wins second defamation suit against Utusan

(The Malaysian Insider) – The Penang High Court today found Utusan Malaysia guilty of defaming Lim Guan Eng, the second such ruling in six months, and ordered the Umno daily to pay him RM200,000 in damages and RM250,000 in costs.

The Penang chief minister had claimed a March 12, 2008 article headlined “Tiada Lagi DEB (No More NEP)” in the Malay-language newspaper which said he would abolish the New Economic Policy was inaccurate.

The DAP secretary-general said he had merely said his administration would be free from the “cronyism, corruption and systematic inefficiency” stemming from the policy.

The Bagan MP claimed damages as the article implied that he was an “irresponsible and unworthy” leader.

Although he had repeatedly clarified to the media on March 13 and 14 of the same year that he did not want to abolish the NEP, Utusan Malaysia continued to make the claim, Lim said.

The series of articles led to an Umno-led protest against Lim by about 1,000 people around the state government headquarters in Komtar after Friday prayers on March 14.

The ruling follows the December 2011 judgment by the Penang High Court that an Utusan article titled “Kebiadapan Guan Eng” had “maliciously defamed Lim, and made him and the DAP look as if they are anti-Malay and anti-Islam.”

In his statement of claim, the Air Putih assemblyman said the words used, among others, were meant to portray him as a racist who objected to anything related to Malays.