20 May 2015

Court strikes out ex-minister’s RM12mil defamation suit

KUALA LUMPUR: A High Court struck out the RM12mil defamation suit filed by former transport minister Tan Sri Ong Tee Keat against his former ally Social Care Foundation chairman Tan Sri Robert Phang Miow Sin. 
According to Phang’s lead counsel S.N Nair, the court struck out the suit last Thursday due to non-compliance of case management directives. 
However, Ong’s lawyer Tan Foong Luen claimed that the judge has given liberty for them to file the suit afresh. 
Tan said there was no order as to costs. 
“I had refiled the same claim on Monday.
"We have also written a letter to Nair to ask them whether they have instructions from Phang to accept the service for the new claim,” he said when contacted on Tuesday. 
As such, he said they have yet to serve the claim to Nair. 
Tan also said that the case management of the suit was now fixed before a deputy registrar on June 15. 
Ong had filed his defamation suit in December last year. 
He said in his statement of claim that Phang, 76, had on numerous instances, falsely and maliciously caused the publication of defamatory remarks concerning him in the Chinese press on June 24, 2013. 
Ong, 59, said the publication of 14 defamatory remarks implied that he was “a hypocrite, ingratitude, heartless man". 
He said the words had meant that he had been betrayed, shunned and deserted by supporters. 
Ong is seeking RM8mil in general damages, RM4mil in aggravated damages as well exemplary damages, interest and costs.

Source : http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Nation/2015/05/19/Court-defamation-suit/

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