Tee Keat’s RM500m defamation suit set for July 2013 hearing

July 17, 2012

KUALA LUMPUR, July 17 — The High Court set five days from July 8, 2013 for the hearing of former Transport Minister Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat’s RM500 million defamation suit against Bintulu member of parliament and former Kuala Dimensi Sdn Bhd chief executive officer, Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing.

Judge Datuk Hue Siew Kheng set the dates after meeting both men’s counsels in chambers today.

The court will also hear Tiong’s suit against Ong (picture) to recover RM10 million, which the former claimed was entrusted to Ong as a donation to MCA.

Ong’s counsel Tan Foong Luen told reporters that Judge Hue also set September 4 as case management for both cases to allow the possibility of further mediation for an out-of-court settlement.

Tan said his client (Ong) had categorically set two pre-conditions for successful mediation.

First, Ong wants Tiong to retract his allegation in relation to the RM10 million donation and second, to publish an apology on the matter in all major dailies.

“It’s not our condition as counsels but our client who set the pre-conditions,” emphasised Tan.

Meanwhile, counsel Prem Ramachandran who acted for Tiong said both parties had engaged in mediation previously but failed to reach an amicable solution.

In August 2009, Ong who is also MCA president, filed the suit against Tiong claiming he had issued a defamatory statement on the matter which was published in the Malaysiakini website on August 12. 

Ong is also seeking aggravated and exemplary damages and an injunction to restrain Tiong or his agents from making further defamatory statements against him regarding the issue. 

He claimed that the statement was malicious and in bad faith to prevent a fair and correct investigation into the abuse of funds in the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) project and Kuala Dimensi’s role in the affair.  

Kuala Dimensi is the turnkey contractor for the PKFZ project. 

Ong claimed the statement had tarnished his reputation, image, integrity and good name in the eyes of the public. — Bernama