Firdaus Wong’s RM5m “extremist” label suit against LGE stems from his pork sale carnival mocking

 

SEE you in court has become imminent as the mystery surrounding Muslim convert preacher Firdaus Wong Wai Hung’s recent RM5 mil defamation suit against DAP adviser Lim Guan Eng for labelling him (Firdaus) “extremist” has been answered.

As revealed by the Bagan MP’s solicitors Guok Partnership, this is in response to the Multiracial Reverted Muslims (MRM) founder’s mocking of their client over the annual Butterworth mega pork sale carnival event in mid-June.

Without revealing details of his civil suit, Firdaus had in a FB post on July 24 which was widely hailed by his fanbase as evident from the 15K likes, 1.7K comments and 986 shares at time of writing claimed that his lawyer has served a letter of demand (LOD) to Guan Eng who “has seven days to apologise and pay RM5 mil in damages”.

In a reply to Firdaus’s LOD sighted by The Edge, the preacher has allegedly suggested to Guan Eng who is also the Air Putih state assemblyman to establish a “Biro Agama Bukan Islam (B.A.B.I.) DAP“ and proposed a programme named: “BABI DAP Menganjurkan Jualan Daging Babi seDAP”.

This was posted on Firdaus’ FB and Threads accounts on June 16

Henceforth, Guan Eng’s reply contended that he had subsequently on June 24 responded to Firdaus’ “mocking” and “racial and religious overtone” regarding an event that did not concern him.

“Our client as a senior MP has the right to refute, castigate and reprimand any individual who seeks cheap popularity by mocking and questioning our client who was then promoting an event which did not concern your client at all,” stated the letter by Guok Partnership.

The legal reply further argued that Firdaus had “selectively extracted” parts of Guan Eng’s response and provided an inaccurate translation of the Mandarin speech published on the former Penang chief minister’s FB account.

 

This is where Guan Eng’s legal team insisted that Guan Eng’s statement must be read in its entire context and meaning rather than as separate, independent statements.

As such, the reply letter which was confirmed by Guan Eng’s lawyer Guok Ngek Seong stated that the DAP lawmaker intends to rely on the defences of justification, fair comment and qualified privilege.

Earlier, The Edge reported that Guok Partnership denied that their client had published statements that are defamatory of Firdaus and has rejected all of his demands.

“Should your client insist on filing legal proceedings against our client, we have our client’s instructions to accept service of any legal process,” the LOD to Firdaus’ lawyers Messrs Syahidah, Sharul and Marsyara stated.

Firdaus’ lawyers had apparently sent their LOD to Guan Eng’s solicitors on July 21 stating that the conflict stemmed from a reel uploaded to Lim’s official FB account on June 24.

In the video, Guan Eng discussed the sale of pork at RM10/kg in conjunction with the Dragon Boat Festival in Butterworth, Penang. During his remarks, Lim specifically named Firdaus, labelling him and others as “extremists” as he fired back at attempts by the rightist fraternity to ban or outlaw the event.

Deeming the event staged within his Bagan parliamentary constituency as “a legitimate business event”, Guan Eng had described accusations that the carnival “insults Islam” and “testing the patience of Muslims” as baseless, hence “we shall never bow to extremists”.

This is when Firdaus contended that such statements, whether expressed or implied, have painted him as a religious fanatic and an individual who incites racial and religious hatred.

Firdaus then demanded for a written undertaking to cease publishing any similar defamatory statement in the future, a public apology and the sum of RM5 mil in general, aggravated and exemplary damages. –  Focus Malaysia