KUALA LUMPUR – DAP MP Teresa Kok (Seputeh-PH) will be initiating legal action against PAS lawmaker Siti Mastura Muhammad (Kepala Batas-PN) after the latter’s failure to respond to a previously issued letter of demand.
Kok said she had served Siti Mastura the letter of demand on November 10 and given the first-time MP three days to apologise and retract her statements claiming that certain DAP figures are related to one another, as well as ex-Malayan Communist Party leader Chin Peng.
“Until today, I haven’t received any (response) from her (Siti Mastura), nor an apology or retraction of her statements. I have told my lawyers to initiate the process of legal defamation action against her.
“Her statements were not just racially charged, but also seditious as she (accused) me and other DAP representatives of spreading communist ideology, which is not aligned with our nation’s democratic system.
“Her statements imply that we (DAP) are trying to undermine our country’s democratic practices,” she added during a press conference at Parliament today.
On Tuesday, Siti Mastura’s lawyer Ahmad Amzar Ahmad Azlan confirmed that she had received four letters of claim, from Kok, DAP stalwart Tan Sri Lim Kit Siang, his son and party chairman Lim Guan Eng (Bagan-PH), and Guan Eng’s wife Betty Chew.
“The letter of demand was issued to her (Siti Mastura) and she even admitted to receiving it. I was waiting for her to apologise and withdraw her statements, but since nothing of the sort has been done, a suit will be filed very soon,” said Kok, who is also DAP vice-chairman, today.
According to copies of the letter of demand shared with the media, Kok is seeking RM10 million in damages from Siti Mastura.
The legal letter also said, among others, that Siti Mastura’s slanderous statements against Kok gave the impression to the general public that Kok is “affiliated to a proscribed communist party; espouses and propagates communist ideologies; is an enemy of the state and is disloyal to the country”.
Siti Mastura’s statement was previously recorded at the Bukit Aman police headquarters after police reports were lodged against her for claiming that Guan Eng and Kit Siang were related to the former Singapore prime minister – the late Lee Kuan Yew – and the long-deceased Chin Peng.
She made the claim in a speech at a PAS programme in Kemaman, Terengganu, on November 4, of which video is available. In her speech, she also alleged that Guan Eng’s wife and Kok are cousins.
Siti Mastura also claimed Guan Eng and his father were related to other DAP figures – party secretary-general and Transport Minister Anthony Loke (Seremban-PH), Local Government and Development Minister Nga Kor Ming (Teluk Intan-PH) and Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham (Beruas-PH).
Yesterday, R.S.N Rayer (Jelutong-PH) and Siti Mastura traded barbs in the Dewan Rakyat after the former raised concerns over whether certain statements by a lawmaker associating Lee with communists could affect government initiatives on encouraging bilateral trade with Singapore.
While Rayer did not name the MP he was referring to, Siti Mastura immediately interrupted his speech and cited Standing Order 36(6) on how no MP shall impute improper motives against another member, urging Rayer to retract his statement. – November 16, 2023