Raja Syarafina Raja Shuib, a special legal officer at the CM’s Office said Gerakan had taken a long time to sue Lim, since the alleged offensive remarks were made “since 2012”.
“If Gerakan found itself, for whatever reason, that they were defamed since 2012, one wonders why they even needed a five-year gap before actually commencing action.
“If Gerakan needs to justify their action now just so that they ‘regain respect and dignity as well as putting things back in perspective’, why the long delay of five years in the first place?
“Lim vigorously defends the defamation suit by Gerakan and welcomes the opportunity to prove in court that the previous BN Penang state government sold 36 times more land than the present state government, but yet received less money,” she said in a statement.
Raja Syarafina said Gerakan practised double standards when it claimed to have been muzzled by the defamation suits brought against some of its leaders but said nothing when their own leaders sued Lim.
“Their leaders (like Penang Gerakan Youth acting chairman Jason Loo) complained about the death of freedom of expression after being sued for defamation by Lim.
“However, no Gerakan leaders talk about the death of freedom of expression when (Gerakan president) Mah (Siew Keong) or Gerakan sues Lim.
“Why is it okay for Gerakan to sue but not for Lim Guan Eng to sue? Such double-standards by Gerakan have been comprehensively and consistently rejected by the voters in the last two general elections in 2008 and 2013.”
The CM’s Office confirmed receiving a notice of action from Gerakan on July 12.
Gerakan secretary-general Liang Teck Meng had demanded that Lim apologise over his claim that the previous Gerakan Penang government had sold reclaimed land below market rate.
Liang said Lim had kept harping that former chief minister Dr Koh Tsu Koon had sold reclaimed land in Tanjung Tokong (now known as Sri Tanjung Pinang) to a developer back in the 1990s at a price of RM1 per square foot with an area of 980 acres valued at RM42.7 million.
“Such statements uttered by Lim have caused Gerakan and Koh to be ridiculed due to the baseless insinuation by him which was inaccurate and defamatory in nature,” Liang was reported as saying.
Liang had said the decision to take legal action was made after a meeting of the party’s central committee last month.
“We decided to pursue appropriate legal action to defend the reputation, image and interest of the party as well as former party president Dr Koh Tsu Koon.”