Gerakan man, China Press slapped with RM730,000 for defaming Lim Guan Eng

Gerakan deputy president Oh Tong Keong and China Press was found guilty of defaming former finance minister Lim Guan Eng. In total, both parties have been told to pay RM730,000.

Penang High Court judge Kenneth St James ordered Oh to pay RM400,000 in general damages, RM100,000 in costs and 5 percent per annum interest.

As for China Press, it was ordered to pay RM150,000 in damages, RM80,000 in costs and 5 percent interest per annum.

In addition to that, China Press is required to publish an unconditional apology to Lim in both of their online and print versions. They are also barred from making defamatory statements again.

Oh on Sept 25, 2019 questioned whether Lim assisted WGW Entertainment Sdn Bhd and its owner Hendrik Huang to secure tax exemptions for the Fantastic Duo Mandopop concert at Spice Arena, Bayan Lepas which was subsequently cancelled.

Oh is reported to have produced photos of Lim and Huang along with official letters from the tourism ministry to imply a connection.

These questions were published in China Press.

St James found that Oh’s remarks, though framed as a question, were defamatory and did not qualify as fair comment.

He ruled that Oh’s statements were neither factual nor in the public interest. In addition there was no legal or moral duty to publish them.

As for China Press, the judge explained that the daily defamed Lim by publishing the comments without verifying the allegations or gaining Lim’s response.