KUALA LUMPUR – Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow has taken the first step in suing tycoon Tan Sri Tan Kok Ping over the latter’s remarks alleged to be defamatory and slanderous.
Chow, on October 19 last year, said he would be suing Tan over his “incompetent, ignorant and shameless” remarks in a press conference, which the chief minister deemed to have been targeted at him.
He had said the legal suit would be served with Tan named as a defendant after he received the state exco’s support to pursue the legal battle.
Today, Chow posted on his Facebook page that the Penang High Court had fixed January 24 for case management.
He said he had proceeded with the suit because Tan showed no attempt to apologise or retract the alleged defamatory and slanderous remarks said against him.
“My solicitors have extracted the sealed copy of the writ and statement of claim yesterday evening and the same shall be served on Tan for his defamatory remarks made during a press conference organised by the Penang Chinese Chamber of Commerce on October 18 last year.
“Tan, in using his capacity as the Chamber’s life honorary president, convened the press conference, in respect of a joint development agreement for a proposed development project between Penang Development Corporation and Umech Land Sdn Bhd on September 27 last year.
“Even though the Penang Development Corporation has announced the project has been terminated, Tan (however) deliberately made a slanderous statement in Mandarin, using the press conference (on October 18) to attack my character, credibility, competency and capability as the Penang chief minister and Penang Development Corporation chairman.
“The slanderous statement was eventually printed and published in among others several prominent Chinese-language newspapers,” he said.
Tan, when contacted by reporters, said he had not been served with the court papers.
“(However), I shall leave the court matter to my lawyer,” said the tycoon.
Penang Development Corp had terminated its deal with Umech Land involving land in Byram, Seberang Prai, before Tan’s October press conference, citing major changes to the company’s equity structure, leading to a change in the controlling shareholder, which the corporation could not accept. – January 4, 2024