by BERNAMA / pic by TMR FILE PIX

DAP veteran leader Lim Kit Siang is seeking to amend the statement of claims  in his defamation suit against former Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Tun Mohammed Hanif Omar over the latter’s speech at a convention in 2018.

Lim’s counsel, Harshaan Zamani, told reporters that the Iskandar Puteri Member of Parliament (MP) is seeking to add Syarikat Sinar Karangkraf Sdn Bhd as the second defendant in the suit.

Today’s proceeding before High Court Judicial Commissioner Quay Chew Soon, was conducted through Skype and attended by Lim’s lead counsel, Sangeet Kaur Deo, and Mohammed Hanif’s lawyer.

Prior to this, Lim named Mohammed Hanif as the sole defendant in the suit.

Lim filed the application to amend the statement of claims last March 16 on grounds that the defamatory statement by Mohammed Hanif was published by the media publishing company.

Harshaan said the court set July 15 to hear the application.

Lim filed the suit on Oct 17, 2018, claiming that the ex-IGP had, while giving a speech at a ‘Karamah Bangsa’ convention in Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM), Shah Alam on Sept 6, claimed that Lim had intentionally ordered DAP to split Peninsular Malaysia into two to divide the Malays and the Chinese

Lim also claimed that the statement was published in the Malay Sinar Harian daily.

In his statement of claim, he said Mohammed Hanif had also maliciously caused the publication of the defamatory statement in the Malaysiakini and Free Malaysia Today news portals on Sept 6 and 7.

Lim is seeking an order for the defendant to withdraw the alleged defamatory words and submit an apology as well as general, aggravated and exemplary damages, and an injunction to prohibit the defendant or any of his agents to repeat or republish the statements.