In High Court chamber proceedings today, justice Rosilah Yop allowed the application by Teng against the former Penang chief minister.

When met later, N Mureli, who is appearing for Lim, said Rosilah had agreed with the arguments by Teng’s counsel Kek Boon Wei that Lim had no locus standi as a person in office to sue Teng.

Mureli said he was now awaiting instructions from Lim, adding that they would most likely appeal the decision.

He said they would appeal on the grounds that there were pending Federal Court cases that striking out such cases was not appropriate, and that it should go to trial.

Neither Teng nor Lim was present in court today.

Teng had filed an application to strike out the suit brought by Lim, on grounds that a chief minister should not be filing defamation suits.

In April last year, Lim filed the suit naming Teng, Star Media Group Bhd news editor David Tan and journalist Crystal Chiam Shiying as defendants.

In his statement of claim, Lim alleged that Teng had given permission and/or caused defamatory and false statements to be written and published in the newspaper and its website through the second, third and fourth defendants.

He claimed that the third and fourth defendants had maliciously published a defamatory and false statement in an article titled “Pulau Jerejak land sale questioned” dated Nov 16, 2016, which referred to the plaintiff.

Lim is seeking general, exemplary and aggravated damages, interest, costs and other relief deemed fit by the court.

Jerejak Island: June 29 decision on application to strike out suit