(Petaling Jaya, Thursday): I have instructed my lawyers to file a defamation suit against Utusan Malaysia next Tuesday for its news report last Saturday, 13th February 1999, alleging that I am not patriotic.
The Utusan Malaysia report (p. 9) under the headline, "Kit Siang
tidak patriotik - PBPM" reads:
"Timbalan Presiden PBPM, Sheikh Tahir Muhammad berkata, kenyataan Kit Siang yang mendakwa keadaan penjara di Malaysia tidak mencapai tahap minimum Pertubuhan Bangsa-Bangsa Bersatu (PBB) jelas membuktikan beliau seorang yang tidak bertanggungjawab.
"Beliau berkata, kenyataan itu jelas berunsurkan politik semata-mata, memandangkan Kit Siang telah gagal dalam semua usahanya untuk membebaskan anaknya, Lim Guan Eng daripada hukuman penjara.
"�Jika dakwaan beliau itu benar, mengapa keluarga tahanan lain tidak pernah membangkitkan perkara itu.
"�Mereka sering melawat saudara-mara yang ditahan dan tahu keadaan penjara,� tegasnya sebagai mengulas kenyataan Kit Siang baru-baru ini.
"Kit Siang dalam kenyataan berkata, keadaan kesihatan anaknya, Guan Eng, semakin terjejas berikutan layanan buruk ketika berada di Penjara Kajang yang disifatkannya jauh daripada mencapai tahap minimum seperti ditetapkan oleh PBB.
"Sheikh Tahir berkata, kerajaan perlu mengkaji kenyataan Kit Siang itu dan mengambil tindakan sewajarnya jika dakwaan tersebut ternyata tidak benar.
"Sehubungan itu, beliau turut meminta Kit Siang mengemukakan permohonan untuk melakukan lawatan khas ke penjara seluruh negara bagi meninjau sendiri keadaan di dalam penjara di negara ini."
Utusan Malaysia�s connections with UMNO are well-known and in alleging that I am not patriotic, Utusan Malaysia has not only made a most defamatory statement against me but is indulging in the most irresponsible form of journalism in the run-up to the general election.
I have discussed with my lawyers the quantum of damage which I should claim.
There were two mega multi-million ringgit defamation suits last week. In one, the son of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Mirzan Mahathir, sued the printers of Asian Wall Street Journal (AWSJ) - Star Papyrus, a subsidiary of Star Publications - for RM150 million for defamation over an article published in the newspaper.
The Konsortium Perkapalan Berhad group executive chairman filed the suit over its Jan 4 front-page article, entitled Mahathir's Eldest Son Limits Ambitions, written by Mr Bruce Knecht.
In his statement of claim, Mirzan said paragraph three of the article meant that he built his business empire not upon his own ability or merit but as a willing beneficiary of nepotism, favouritism and privilege.
He said the article gave the impression that he conducted his business affairs in an incompetent or negligent manner and had only survived because he had exploited his position as the Prime Minister's son and that he was bailed out by the government under the influence of his father.
In the other mega multi-million ringgit defamation suit, Berjaya Group chairman and chief executive Tan Sri Vincent Tan filed a writ of summons against Star Papyrus over another AWSJ article published on Dec 21 last year
The article, entitled Malaysia Props Up Crony Capitalists, was written by local academic K.S. Jomo.
Vincent Tan claimed that the article carried the meaning that he had improperly been awarded a contract to build a monorail system by the government on favourable terms, including the right to develop the Linear City project because he was a crony of the government.
He claimed, among others, that the article also meant that in securing the monorail contract, he knew that, "although it was high risk, if it succeeded he would be able to keep the rewards but that if it failed the government would be ready to pick up the tab".
My lawyers are of the view that in my defamation suit against Utusan Malaysia, I could not possibly be asking for less than what Mirzan or Vincent Tan is asking in their defamation suits.
I do not relish instituting mega multi-million ringgit defamation proceedings.
In fact, I have considerable sympathy for the Mingguan Malaysia editorial
commentary on Sunday, 14th February 1999 on "KEGILAAN MENYAMAN":
"Apakah sedang tercetus satu kegilaan baru di Malaysia, kegilaan melawan melalui proses undang-undang? Jumlah wang yang dituntut adalah dalam lingkungan puluhan dan ratusan juta ringgit, menimbulkan tanda tanya akan tujuan sebenar tindakan mereka. Apakah ia benar-benar bertujuan menuntut keadilan, menebus nama atau sekadar untuk menakutkan pihak terlibat atau kerana motif politik?
"Sebelum ini pihak pembangkang yang kerap mengguna cara ini. Tapi kini UMNO juga merasakan perlu baginya melawan melalui proses undang-undang terhadap semua pihak termasuk akhbar yang melemparkan tuduhan liar dan fitnah terhadapnya.
"Ini satu perkembangan baru. Dulu-dulu, mahkamah adalah tempat yang mahu dielak oleh orang politik. Mencari penyelesaian di mahkamah bukan pilihan pertama kerana biar pun menang, kesan yang ditinggalkan tetap merosakkan.
"Dalam politik, terutamanya semasa kempen pilihan raya, kata-mengata dan hentam-menghentam pada tahap yang berpatutan diterima sebagai sebahagian permainan politik. Tidak timbul soal saman-menyaman. Namun begitu, UMNO kini berpendapat bahawa tahap berpatutan itu sudah sampai ke tahap keterlaluan dan perlu diperangi.
"Mungkin langkah seperti itu akan menyedarkan semua pihak bahawa kebebasan bersuara dan kebebasan akhbar tidak memberi lesen kepada sesiapa untuk mempertuturkan atau menulis sesedap hati.
"Dalam pada itu, penggunaan saluran undang-undang serta tuntutan yang tidak munasabah juga boleh bertukar menjadi satu tekanan ke atas kebebasan bersuara. Sementara apa juga kebebasan mempunyai hadnya, sikap terlalu berhati-hati dalam menyuarakan sesuatu boleh memuramkan suasana demokrasi yang sepatutnya rancak dan penuh bertenaga.
"Perdana Menteri Dr. Mahathir Mohamad pernah menegur kecenderungan menyaman doktor perubatan dengan tuntutan keterlaluan yang hanya akan memaksa pengamalnya menaikkan bayaran kerana terpaksa mengambil perlindungan insurans yang tinggi.
"Tindakan melawan melalui proses undang-undang, walaupun menjadi satu hak, tidak semestinya merupakan jalan terbaik dan berkesan dalam mencari keadilan dan penyelesaian. Kita bukan masyarakat yang gilakan litigasi.
"Dan, sebelum wujud kegilaan menyaman dengan jumlah yang bukan-bukan, mungkin elok bagi semua pihak mengambil satu langkah ke belakang dan merenung kembali perkara ini serta kesannya ke atas masyarakat dan demokrasi."
A correction of the Mingguan Malaysia editorial commentary is in order. The Opposition never started the process of mega multi-million ringgit defamation suits. In fact, the "kegilaan menyaman" mentioned by Mingguan Malaysia has become a culture of the ruling party which set up a panel of lawyers to help UMNO to take legal action against those making "slanderous and wild allegations to discredit party and government leaders".
May be, the only way to restore some sanity from this "kegilaan menyaman" is to democratise such mega multi-million ringgit defamation suits so that the whole nation can sit up and decide whether Malaysia wants to score another dubious world�s first - the world�s highest defamation damages!
My mega multi-million ringgit defamation suit against Utusan Malaysia next Tuesday therefore serves two other purposes apart from redeeming my reputation - to restore free speech and to spotlight the prison conditions in the country which fall far short of minimum international standards.
(18/2/99)