Penang Gerakan's acting youth chief sued for defamation

KUALA LUMPUR: Penang Gerakan's acting youth chief, Jason Loo Jieh Sheng is being sued for defamation by a consortium over his statement on undersea tunnel project in Penang.
Consortium Zenith BUCG Sdn Bhd had filed a defamation suit against Loo in the Kuala Lumpur High Court on Aug 8, 2016 over his statement to the media on June 23, 2016.
Loo is alleged to have made defamatory statements, claiming that the feasibility study and detailed design for the undersea tunnel and three highways cost only RM90 million and not RM305 million as claimed by the Penang state government.
The consortium claimed Loo's statement had appeared in Malaysiakini and tarnished their name, integrity and reputation and that the statement questioned the credibility of their work.
The consortium claimed that the statement, in natural and ordinary context means that the consortium is a company with no principles, cannot be trusted, involved in bribery and has no integrity.
In the statement of claim, the consortium was awarded with a contract (preliminary agreement) by the Penang government on Oct 6, 2013 to study feasibility and detailed design of the undersea tunnel project.
The project includes Penang-Butterworth tunnel, measuring 6.5km, paired-road, measuring 12km from Tanjung Bunga to Teluk Bahang, a bypass, measuring 4.6km between Ayer Itam and Tun Dr.Lim Chong Eu highway and another highway, measuring 4.2km, between Gurney Drive and Tun Dr.Lim highway.
Once completed, the tunnel is expected to become the first undersea tunnel in Malaysia and the second tunnel in South East Asia.
The consortium is seeking for an injunction to prevent Loo from uttering the defamatory words, an apology, general damages, aggravated and exemplary damages, cost and interest.
Yesterday, the case came up for a case management before Deputy Registrar Nurul Ain Hamzah.
Loo's lawyer, Chai Ko Thing said they are making an application to transfer the case to Penang as the matter was there.
He said the case is fixed for another case management on Nov 21, 2016 to exchange affidavits on the application. He also said Loo had filed statement of defence together with counter-claim.
In the counter-claim, Loo stated that the consortium had filed the action without realising that he never mention the company's name, at any material time.
Loo stated that he only referred to representatives or Penang state government's officers.
He claimed that he was perceived as defaming the plaintiff with "mala fide" (malicious) intention for his personal gain as a high rank officer in Gerakan Youth.
He claimed that he is being disturbed by the State government supporters. In the statement of defence, Loo claimed that it was a "fair comment" on a public interest matter.
Apart from Chai, lawyer Ong Siang Liang also represented Loo.