GEORGE TOWN, Sept 3 — DAP veteran Tan Sri Lim Kit Siang told the Penang High Court that it is normal for politicians to have different ideologies and political views, but it does not have to be defamatory.

He said he took offence to the insinuation by Kepala Batas MP Siti Mastura Muhammad that he has similar ideologies with the late Communist Party of Malaya leader, Chin Peng, aside from her allegations that he is related to the communist leader.

"It is more about the allegations of a conspiracy to destroy Malaysia,” he told the court presided by Justice Datuk Quay Chew Soon this morning during cross examination by Siti Mastura’s lawyer, Yusfarizal Yussoff.

Lim was the first witness to take the stand in a defamation lawsuit he, his son, Guan Eng, and Teresa Kok, had filed against Siti Mastura.

The trio had filed the suit against the PAS MP over the latter’s speech at a ceramah linking them to Chin Peng, as well as Singapore’s former first prime minister Lee Kuan Yew.

When Yusfarizal put it to him that PAS’ political ideology was to uphold Islam in the democratic system, Kit Siang replied that "we all uphold Islam”.

He also said he had no issues with PAS wanting to introduce the Shariah law as long as it was within the confines of the Federal Constitution.

Yusfarizal then asked if it was normal for a politician to question the ideology of their political opponent.

"We are not talking about whether it is normal or not normal, we are talking about whether it is defamatory or not defamatory here,” he said.

Earlier, during examination in chief by his counsel Datuk Sankara Nair, Kit Siang said he was "utterly shocked and outraged” when he first heard about the allegations Siti Mastura had made against him.

He said the statement she made was reckless without any possibility of being backed by evidence.

"What she said was against my whole life’s vision,” he said.

The suit was filed over a speech by Siti Mastura at a political rally during the Kemaman by-election campaign period.

The three plaintiffs accused Siti Mastura of making a defamatory remark against them, linking them to the late Communist Party of Malaya leader as well as Singapore’s Lee.

The Penang PAS Muslimat deputy chief claimed that Kit Siang, Guan Eng, and the latter’s wife Betty Chew had ties to Chin and Lee.

She also mentioned other DAP leaders, including Kok, Teluk Intan MP Nga Kor Ming, and Beruas MP Ngeh Koo Ham.

The hearing, scheduled for six days, continues in the afternoon.