Former Penang Gerakan chief Teng Chang Yeow has retracted his offensive statements against Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng, bringing to a close the defamation suit filed against him.
In his statement of retraction he read out in the High Court in Penang today, Teng (photo, above) said: "I, hereby, unconditionally and unreservedly, retract the impugned statements that I made in a press conference convened on Jan 16 and 18, 2018."
The statements were published on Jan 17 last year in the New Straits Times, with the title, "Come clean on payments, Penang urged."
They were also published on the same day in Malay daily Berita Harian, with the heading, "Pulau Pinang sembunyi fakta bayaran" (Penang hides facts about payment).
On Jan 19 last year, New Straits Times carried another report quoting Teng, headlined "Penang BN claims CM lied about 4 issues".
Following the reports, Lim sued Teng for defamation over allegations that he (Lim) had lied in his statements on the Penang undersea tunnel and road projects.
"I regret the hardship and difficulties caused to YB Tuan Lim Guan Eng due to the publication of the above (reports)," Teng said in reading his statement before High Court judge Rosilah Yob, who recorded a consent judgment.
Lawyer Simon Murali represented Lim, while Kek Boon Wei appeared for Teng.
The case was first heard in the High Court in Penang on March 25, during which Lim was grilled by Teng's lawyer, for five hours, on whether he had provoked Teng to defame him.
In her consent judgment, Justice Rosilah said Teng had "voluntarily and unconditionally" retracted his media statements against Lim, who was Penang chief minister from 2008 until April 2018.
"The plaintiff and defendant will not have any more claims against one another, for now or in the future, due to this action," she said.
The decision today was final and there would be no costs to be paid by either party, the judge added. - Mkini
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