Guan Eng: Penang government was just defending itself

Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng says Malaysia is not in an austerity mode, instead it is adopting a smart spending in the key priority areas. - Bernama

GEORGE TOWN: The Penang state government was just defending itself in the press statements issued last January, says Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng (pic).

Testifying in the defamation suit he filed against former Penang Barisan Nasional chairman Teng Chang Yeow, Lim agreed that the press statements were also attacks against Barisan and what he believed to be "Barisan media."

"We (state government) were just defending ourselves," he said when cross-examined by counsel Kek Boon Wei, who is representing Teng.

He said he could choose to clarify the issues claimed by Teng and sue for defamation.

He had filed the suit against Teng for statements made at a press conference in Jan 2018, stating that Lim had lied about the state government’s payments to the contractors of the undersea tunnel project.

"As the then-Chief Minister, I can provide a statement to clarify the issues that were raised; whether the state government has information on how much land was swapped for the feasibility study and the detailed design and environmental impact assessment for the three paired roads," said Lim.

Lim also denied that he had failed to provide clarification on the RM11.2mil paid to an independent checking engineer (ICE) for the three paired roads project.

In his statement of claim, Lim claimed that Teng, who was also the then-State Gerakan chairman, had issued statements that Lim had lied about the state government not paying money for the undersea tunnel project and that only land was swapped.

Lim had also said in his statement of claim that Teng had made statements saying that Lim had lied on at least four issues in relation to the proposed undersea tunnel project.

Lim claimed that Teng's alleged statements during a press conference on Jan 16, 2018, had insinuated that Lim had lied to the public on a matter of public interest, that he had abused his official position as Chief Minister to deceive the public on matters of public expenditure and misrepresentation of facts among others.

The statements were then published in an English daily and a Malay daily.

Lim is claiming general damages, including aggravated damages, interest and costs.

The trial will continue before Justice Datuk Rosilah Yop on May 6 and 7.

Lim is represented by K. Simon Murali.