Jahara
PUTRAJAYA: "I am no racist, I just want to fight for the rights of the people."
That was the immediate response of Penang Opposition leader Datuk Jahara Hamid after winning a defamation suit against Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng for calling her "a racist grandmother".
"The decision has brought justice to my claim that I am not a racist.
"I only want to fight for the rights of the people, especially the small-scale business people of Penang.
"All I asked is for the state and local governments to be fair to these businesses.
"As a grandmother, woman and politician, his (Lim) remarks is degrading and slurred my dignity.
"Such remarks should not be made against any person," Jahara told a press conference here Friday.
Earlier, Judicial Commissioner Datuk Nordin Hassan ordered Lim to pay RM500,000 in damages with a 5% interest per annum and RM40,000 in legal cost.
Nordin also granted an injunction to prevent Lim, who DAP secretary-general, from further repeating the remark.
Jahara, who was in Putrajaya for a meeting, said she hopes the verdict will also serve as a lesson to all politicians not to engage in name-calling.
"Name-calling is downgrading, it should not be practiced by any politician," she said.
On the amount of damages to her, Jahara said it was not important as the verdict which cleared her name.
Lim had instructed counsel Datuk N. Mureli to file an appeal.
"It is up to him if he wants to appeal as it is his right. We let the law run its course," said Jahara.
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