Kampar MP Chong Zhemin said Oh losing a defamation suit had nothing to do with curbing freedom of speech or the people’s “right to know”.

Chong said freedom of speech does not mean the freedom to spread baseless allegations or to make accusations.

“Oh’s defeat in the High Court was simply due to his failure to speak responsibly.

“Don’t try to mislead the public by turning this personal issue into a campaign supposedly defending the people’s right to know, when it’s just to collect the money needed to pay the damages,” he said in a statement.

Last week, the High Court in George Town, Penang, ruled that Oh had falsely accused Lim of helping a concert organiser obtain tax exemptions while he was the finance minister.

At a press conference in 2019, Oh questioned why Lim had granted tax exemptions to WGW Entertainment Sdn Bhd and its owner for a Mandopop concert at Spice Arena, implying the former finance minister had done so.

The remarks were later published in China Press, which was also found liable for defamation.

The judge said although Oh’s statements were framed as questions, they were found to be defamatory in nature and did not qualify as fair comment.

Penang Gerakan launched the fundraiser on May 10, saying it was to ensure Oh could proceed with his appeal against the court’s decision while “fighting to uphold the people’s right to know”.