Zuraida’s false claim at KKB by-election hurt my reputation, says Guan Eng

The former finance minister denies meeting and rejecting then Cabinet colleague Zuraida Kamaruddin over the Bestari Jaya housing project.

Lim Guan Eng is suing former housing and local government minister Zuraida Kamaruddin and MalaysiaNow’s publisher and editor for defamation over a report that he had twice rejected a housing project for former plantation workers in Bestari Jaya.

SHAH ALAM:

 Former finance minister Lim Guan Eng told the High Court today his reputation was tarnished by an allegation made two years ago that he had twice rejected a housing project for former plantation workers in Bestari Jaya.

Lim said the false statement, made by former housing and local government minister Zuraida Kamaruddin during the Kuala Kubu Baharu by-election, hurt his reputation, especially among the seat’s sizeable number of Indian voters.

“The Parti Sosialis Malaysia representative called me. I vehemently denied it. I had to make further clarifications within DAP. All of this affected my reputation,” he said when examined by counsel SN Nair in a defamation suit filed against Zuraida and news portal MalaysiaNow.

Lim and Zuraida were Cabinet colleagues between May 2018 and February 2020 when Pakatan Harapan was in power under then prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

The government collapsed after the Sheraton Move, paving the way for Perikatan Nasional to assume power with Muhyiddin Yassin installed as prime minister.

Lim was replaced as finance minister in the new administration, but Zuraida retained her portfolio until the 15th general election in November 2022, when PH chairman Anwar Ibrahim was appointed prime minister.

On May 10, four days after the government announced that 200 units of flats would be built for the workers, MalaysiaNow published Zuraida’s claim that Lim had previously blocked the construction of the housing project.

Lim, the Bagan MP and former DAP secretary-general, is seeking RM5 million in damages. He has named Zuraida, MalaysiaNow’s publisher MNow Media Sdn Bhd, and editor Abdar Rahman Koya as defendants, alleging the report was published “to get cheap publicity”.

He said his former political secretary, Tony Pua, had issued a statement denying Zuraida’s claims, adding that she should have been “careful before making any statements and spinning facts”.

Lim also said ministries have to make formal applications for projects at the civil service level before the finance minister can deliberate on them.

“There will also be discussion among several ministries before it is included in the budget,” he said.

Cross-examined by Nizamuddin Hamid, the lawyer for Zuraida and the news portal, Lim denied rejecting the project during his tenure.

He said he also could not recall meeting Zuraida and then national housing department director-general Jayaselan Navaratnam about the project between October 2018 and May 2019.

He dismissed a suggestion by Nizamuddin that he rejected implementation of the project, although a second proposal was made.

He said he also would not entertain oral requests for a project without a formal application being made.

Pua, who also gave evidence, said all project applications to the finance ministry must follow proper procedures and must be accompanied by proper documentation.

“I also cannot recall any meeting between Lim and Zuraida over the project. It would have come to my knowledge if a paper on that project was submitted to the minister (Lim),” he said.

The plaintiff then closed its case, with Zuraida expected to take the stand before judicial commissioner D Shoba Rajah tomorrow. - FMT