By Dorcas Ting
KUCHING, Dec 10: In the defamatory suit brought by the Sarawak government against the former Second Finance Minister Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh, the High Court here today ruled that the impugned words did not defame the plaintiff and dismissed the plaintiff’s writ and statement of claim with a cost of RM30,000 to the defendant.
High Court Judicial Commissioner (JC) Christopher Chin Soo Yin today found that the plaintiff was wrongly named as plaintiff and should have been limited to or included the Majlis Mesyuarat Kerajaan Negeri (MMKN) and hence the locus standi of the plaintiff was not established.
The case ended after a 10-day trial with 7 witnesses from the plaintiff and 3 from the defendant.
On July 2020, the Sarawak government had commenced libel action against Wong for alleging in a press statement that it had given national oil corporation Petroliam Nasional Berhad (Petronas) a massive discount on State Sales Tax (SST) on petroleum products and given up the State’s rights on petroleum for a meager sum of RM2 billion as Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) MPs are now members of the Federal Cabinet.
Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh who is also Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) president, said in a press conference in Sibu on Dec 8 that the decision of the defamation suit will not affect the party in the coming Sarawak Election.
The Sarawak government was represented by the Sarawak Legal Advisor Dato Sri JC Fong, state legal officers Mohamad Adzrul Adzlan and Oliver Chua and Anisa Jamil. The defendant was represented by counsels George Lo, Jonathan Tay, Clement Wong, Thien Siaw Lien, and Yvonne Sia. — DayakDaily
