Utusan defamed Kit Siang in 'Augustus Chen' story
MalaysiaKini.com
Dec 10, 2014

Utusan Malaysia has been ordered to pay DAP’s Gelang Patah MP Lim Kit Siang RM250,000 after it was found to have defamed him in an article citing a booklet by one 'Father Augustus Chen'.

The Kuala Lumpur High Court also awarded Lim with RM25,000 in costs.

"Hurrah for (lawyer) Gobind Singh Deo for great victory against politics of lies," Lim said on Twitter.

The Utusan article 'Kit Siang Manipulasi Pemilihan CEC' (Kit Siang Manipulated CEC Elections) quoted the 16-page booklet titled 'Equity Report'.

The identity of the author of the booklet, who used the pseudonym Father Augustus Chen has never been established.

Gobind (left) told Malaysiakini that the Umno-owned broadsheet was also asked to pay a five percent interest beginning the day when the civil suit was filed, which was back in September last year.

Judge Yeoh Wee Siam presided.

"The judge found that the plaintiff had made his case on the balance of probabilities. She had said that Utusan is liable for defamation against Lim Kit Siang," Gobind said.

The RM250,000 sum was for general, aggravated and exemplary damages.

Last September, Lim sued Utusan for the report, which he said had damaged his reputation.

This was after Utusan did not respond to letters of demand sent by the DAP parliamentary leader's lawyers demanding that the paper prove the authenticity of "Father Augustus Chen".

Article heavily quoted the booklet

The article was published in Utusan on Aug 18 last year, heavily quoting the 16-page booklet, alleging that Lim and his son, Lim Guan Eng, had manipulated DAP's central executive committee (CEC) elections.

There were two main allegations in the booklet, first of which is that 753 absent delegates were not given due notice during the DAP CEC elections in Penang.

The other allegation was that there were 547 phantom voters.

The booklet was used to throw doubts regarding the DAP congress in Penang in 2012, which was marred by an error in tabulation of votes.

DAP eventually had to hold a fresh congress in September last year under instructions from the Registrar of Societies (ROS).

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