Ling to file defence against Najib

© Provided by The Malaysian Insider Former MCA president Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik will file his defence against Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s defamation suit. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, October 30, 2015.Former MCA president Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik who has been slapped with a defamation suit by Datuk Seri Najib Razak over remarks on the prime minister’s handling of the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal will file his defence, his lawyer Ranjit Singh said.

"We will file the defence but it is a question of whether before or after the case management," he told The Malaysian Insider.

The High Court has fixed case management on November 26.

Ranjit said Najib's lawyers served the court papers to his legal firm today.

"I have yet to read the contents of the suit but Dr Ling will rigorously defend this case to the very end," he said.

The prime minister's lawyer, Datuk Hafarizam Harun said the suit was filed in the Kuala Lumpur High Court registry on Wednesday.
  
Apart from claiming damages, Najib has also applied for an injunction to stop the former transport minister from repeating the statement.
 
Earlier this month, Ling was reported to have agreed with his former boss, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, that Najib had “taken the people’s money and put it in his own personal accounts”.

“I agree with Mahathir. Because he (Najib) has taken people’s money and put it in his own personal accounts,” Dr Ling was quoted as saying at a press conference in Kuala Lumpur.

Following the remarks, law firm Hafarizam Wan & Aisha Mubarak issued a letter of demand on behalf of Najib to Ling at his residence.

The letter dated October 5 demanded an unreserved apology and compensation within seven days, failing which legal action would be instituted.

But Ling’s lawyers said their client stood by his statement.

The Wall Street Journal reported in July that US$700 million (RM2.6 billion) was transferred into his personal bank accounts two months before the 2013 general election.

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission said the money was a donation from a Middle Easterner.

The prime minister has denied using public money, including from 1MDB, for personal benefit, though questions have been raised over the source and purpose of the donation.