GEORGE TOWN, May 15 — The defamation suit by DAP’s Tan Sri Lim Kit Siang, Lim Guan Eng, and Teresa Kok against Kepala Batas MP Siti Mastura Muhammad will go to trial after a mediation session today failed to reach any resolution.
The Penang State Court Mediation Centre scheduled the session between the plaintiffs and defendants at 11am today, which ended after two hours.
Datuk Sankara Nair who represented the DAP trio said both parties could not agree on a settlement.
“We have attempted to reach a settlement but, unfortunately, we couldn’t meet midway and as such the matter will go for trial,” he told reporters at the Penang High Court premises after the mediation session ended.
He said the mediation session was mandated by the courts, and they have complied by attending it.
“We cannot reveal details of what was discussed,” he added.
However, he said the plaintiffs would remain open to offers to settle between now and the start of the trial on September 2.
He said the defamation suits by the three plaintiffs have been consolidated so the hearing will be for a joint suit by the trio against Siti Mastura.
The suit was initially filed separately by Kit Siang, his son and DAP chairman Guan Eng, and Seputeh MP Kok as plaintiffs on November 27 last year.
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, Chin Peng, as well as Singapore's Lee Kuan Yew.
The Penang PAS Muslimat deputy chief claimed that Kit Siang, Guan Eng, and the latter's wife Betty Chew had ties to Chin Peng and Lee.
She also mentioned other DAP leaders, including Kok, Teluk Intan MP Nga Kor Ming, and Beruas MP Ngeh Koo Ham.
In her statement of defence filed in January, Siti Mastura argued that the allegations she made were based on truth and facts.
She claimed her allegations were based on facts obtained from the book Bahan Kempen, Komunikasi Barisan Nasional (Campaign Material, Barisan Nasional Communications).
She also claimed that the contents in the book were authentic.
