State Gerakan Youth chief Jason Loo said he had received three separate summonses for defamation suits against him by the chief minister.
He said the summonses had shaken him up because he thought Lim would respect the opposition’s comments, as these constituted part of the process of check and balance on the policies and actions taken by the state government.
“I chose to join the opposition in Penang as I believe that in each healthy democratic system, we need the opposition to provide a check and balance for an equitable system.
“With the latest summons, it looks like Lim has forgotten all about the freedom of speech, media and information that he had championed all this while,” Loo told reporters here today.
“Even though I face the possibility of being made a bankrupt and disqualified as a candidate for the next general election due to these summonses, I will not be intimidated.”
The three suits by the CM against Loo were over the statements the latter made on the sale of the Peel Avenue state government land.
Besides the three suits, Loo was sued by tunnel builders Consortium Zenith Construction in 2016 over his statements on the undersea tunnel project.
The tunnel suit is set for case management in October, while the other two suits on the Peel Avenue land sale are fixed for hearing this month.
The Peel Avenue land involves a piece of government land sold to a hospital.
On May 31 last year, Lim had stated that the sale was made with the consent of the whole state executive council.
He was responding to Gerakan’s claims that it was a “one-man show” decision to sell the Peel Avenue land to a private hospital for RM156 million.
“All deals related to the hospital were done with the agreement of the state executive council.
“Can Gerakan show proof that I, the chief minister, decided the sale on my own?
“I challenge that person to show proof, or else he is a liar,” Lim had said.
He said those unhappy with the price of the land sold can complain to the finance minister as the land was sold at higher than the government valuation price.
The deal had come under the spotlight of the Penang opposition after it was sold through direct negotiations instead of open tender, as is usually done by the state government.
Lim defended the sale, saying it would bring RM2-RM7 billion in economic value to the state, creating 2,000 jobs and wooing medical talent from overseas.
Lim had said the land was sold higher than the finance ministry’s valuation of RM148 million for a 99-year-lease. The Valuation Department had recommended that the land be sold at RM156 million if the buyer sought a freehold title.
Peel Avenue land sold to hospital for RM156 million, Guan Eng reveals
Company’s defamation suit against Gerakan leader to be heard in Penang