Malaysia MP ordered to pay $227k in damages for falsely linking DAP to communism, Lee Kuan Yew
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Malaysian opposition MP Siti Mastura Muhammad had made the false claims at a by-election rally in Kemaman, Terengganu on Nov 4.
PHOTO: BERNAMA
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SINGAPORE - Mud-slinging may be part and parcel of political discourse, especially during competitive election campaigning seasons, but Malaysian opposition MP Siti Mastura Muhammad was ruled by a Penang high court judge to have crossed the line.
The Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS) MP had erroneously claimed in a speech in 2023 that senior Democratic Action Party (DAP) members were linked to communist figures. She also said former DAP secretary-general Lim Kit Siang is a cousin of “Lim Kuan Yew”
Dr Siti, who obtained a PhD in Islamic development and management from Universiti Sains Malaysia, was ordered to pay RM750,000 (S$227,300) to three DAP leaders - Tan Sri Lim Kit Siang (RM300,000), his son and party chairman Lim Guan Eng (RM250,000), and vice-chairman Teresa Kok (RM200,000) - after her statements were ruled to be defamatory and malicious.
She was also asked to pay RM25,000 in legal fees to each plaintiff.
Dr Siti had made the false claims at a by-election rally in Kemaman, Terengganu on Nov 4, 2023. A video of her speech was widely shared on social media, including her party’s Facebook page before being removed.
“Lim Kuan Yew, Lim Kit Siang, Chin Peng, cousins. Can you see the ancestral link?” the MP for Kepala Batas in Penang asked her audience. “Lim Kuan Yew lives in Singapore today. What he did in Singapore, we see the model happening in Malaysia.”
She said that the lineage of Chin Peng, former leader of the banned Malayan Communist Party (MCP), was evident in Malaysia’s Parliament, before naming DAP members Mr Lim Guan Eng, Ms Kok and current Cabinet ministers Anthony Loke and Nga Kor Ming, suggesting that they are his descendants. She also falsely claimed that Ms Kok is a cousin of Mr Lim Guan Eng’s wife.
In his written judgment, Justice Quay Chew Soon said Dr Siti’s statements were defamatory in suggesting that the DAP leaders were affiliated to the MCP, and were threats to national security.
He ruled that by alleging a direct link between the Lim family, Chin Peng and Singapore’s Lee Kuan Yew, Dr Siti’s statements were inflammatory in suggesting that they support communism, and that a larger conspiracy exists between Singapore and Malaysia.
In her speech, Dr Siti changed the surname of the former Singapore premier from Lee to Lim to add credence to her narrative that he was related to the Lim family, Justice Quay said, adding that it was bad faith on her part.
In her defence, Dr Siti had argued that it should be a norm to criticise opponents based on ideology, and that politicians should not be too sensitive, but use their political forums to rebut statements. She also said the information in her speech had been taken from a campaign book issued by former ruling coalition Barisan Nasional.
Justice Quay dismissed her arguments, saying that she had chosen to spread falsehood despite holding a PhD. He added that the reference material she cited was an unverified “phantom publication”.
The three DAP leaders were represented by Datuk Sankara Nair in court.
“Political disputes between adversaries are commonplace, but they must not cross the line into the realm of defamation,” he said. “Implying that Mr Lee (Kuan Yew) adheres to communist ideology was most absurd.”
After the judgment, Mr Lim Kit Siang told The Straits Times the case shows that Malaysia’s universities should review their courses to ensure that PhD holders do not become spreaders of lies, falsehoods and fake news, adding that these threaten to destroy Malaysia’s constitutional emphasis on “unity in diversity”.
Mr Lim Guan Eng said he was grateful that their names had been cleared and that justice was served.
“We hope that the vicious lies by PAS linking DAP to communism to fan extremist and racist sentiments has been broken once and for all,” he told ST.
Ms Kok said the judgement was a complete vindication for her and her DAP colleagues.
“DAP and its leaders have long been targeted by unfounded accusations of racism. This time, however, the political diatribes crossed a line, becoming both egregious and unacceptable,” said the MP for Seputeh in Kuala Lumpur.
