In its statement of claim filed on Jan 31, the plaintiff, PKNP, alleged that Jeyakumar’s statement falsely implied that the state-owned corporation had contravened an interim court order.
PKNP said Jeyakumar’s allegation had damaged its credibility and hurt its business reputation, resulting in a loss of confidence among potential investors and business partners, as well as the public in the state.
The statutory body, set up to raise the socio-economic development of the people, claimed it had also lost the trust of its employees as morale within the organisation had been impacted.
The plaintiff, represented by Mah Weng Kwai & Associates, is seeking damages and wants Jeyakumar and PSM to publish an apology.
The body also wants the court to issue injunctions for the removal of all publications and online videos on the press conference, and to stop Jeyakumar and PSM from repeating the alleged defamatory statement.
Jeyakumar, a former two-term Sungai Siput MP, made the impugned statement on Nov 1 last year during a press conference, after accompanying a group of farmers to lodge a report at the Kanthan police station.
Jeyakumar said he was personally served the legal papers last week and had engaged lawyer Latheefa Koya to represent him.
“I will be meeting her later today to discuss the suit,” he told FMT.
On Oct 26, the Ipoh High Court granted an interim stay of all eviction notices issued by the Kinta district land office and PKNP against the farmers.
The court ordered that the status quo be maintained pending the disposal of a leave application brought by the farmers in a bid to commence judicial review proceedings against the authorities.
Justice Abdul Wahab Mohamed is expected to deliver his ruling on the leave application on Feb 16.
Several PKNP officials later entered the land, resulting in the farmers filing for leave to commence contempt proceedings. They failed in their application and have filed an appeal to the Court of Appeal.
“The High Courtʼs decision in dismissing the leave for committal not only demonstrates that the plaintiff did not breach the interim stay order but also clearly indicates that Jeyakumar and/or PSM have been making and/or spreading false allegations regarding the plaintiff’s alleged defiance of the interim stay order,” the plaintiff said.
PKNP, the present landowners, converted the entire Kanthan area from agricultural to residential and industrial development. It later handed over the land to three developers.
PSM had said the site generated about 50 to 60 tonnes of produce a day, including corn, brinjals, lady’s fingers, long beans, water lilies, a variety of leafy vegetables, freshwater fish and oil palm.