The Pahang government has threatened to sue Wong Tack for defamation over two social media posts linked to last year’s floods that the DAP MP for Bentong had posted regarding flooding and logging activities in the state.
The state government also demanded an unconditional apology and RM1 million compensation from the lawmaker in 14 days.
The two posts concerned were uploaded to Wong’s official Facebook account on Dec 28, 2021, and Jan 31 this year respectively.
In the first post, he claimed a village he grew up in was hit by a deluge of logs, mud, and rocks following heavy rain in December 2021.
In the second post, he slammed the state forestry department over logging activities at Kuala Raka.
Taking to social media today, Wong uploaded a copy of a legal notice dated Feb 4 that was served to him by law firm Messrs Hidayah Ishak & Partners.
In the legal notice, the law firm claimed Wong's defamatory remarks implied the state government allowed uncontrolled and illegal logging activities.
It said such remarks suggested that its client was involved in and had caused severe flooding two months ago.
"(It also showed) our client was irresponsible and does not care about the welfare of the people in Pahang and that the state government deceived and oppressed the people by allowing widespread logging activities in the forest area in the state.
"It is obvious that the defamatory statements are false and baseless.
"As a result of these defamatory statements, the state government has received various negative reactions from the community and its reputation was tarnished due to these remarks," added the law firm.
"In addition, his (Wong’s) irresponsible remarks caused the state government to be accused by the community as a deceitful, dishonest, and irresponsible government.
"The state government wants an unconditional apology (by Wong) via all dissemination mediums, especially via Facebook and Instagram where the texts and the procedure of such apology must be approved by our party and that it will remain in his account forever," said the law firm.
On top of that, the state government also demanded RM1 million in damages over its allegedly tarnished reputation.
Failure to do so in 14 days, the state government will file a defamation suit against Wong in court.
‘Duty to speak out’
Wong, however, appeared unfazed by the legal action.
"This is a low blow from the Pahang state government. As a people’s representative, it is my duty to speak out for the rakyat. If what I have said is not true, prove it!" he said.
In December 2021, Wong alleged that Jalan Manchis, near the Pahang-Negeri Sembilan border, had been hit by a deluge of mud, rocks, and logs.
He described the incident as a “timber tsunami”.
He linked the incident to forest clearing for agricultural and logging activities.
Meanwhile, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng voiced his disapproval of the legal action mounted by the state government.
"If a defamatory action is taken by ministers or menteris besar personally, that is different as they have a right to do so to protect their individual reputation whilst acting in their official capacity.
"However, for a government to sue is tantamount to putting the government on a 'divine' pedestal that it must be treated as a holy cow which no one can speak evil of.
"Is this not an abuse of government privileges and resources?" asked the Bagan MP.
Lim said the government should be protecting the people and not being protected from the very people they swore to protect.
"This is not what democracy is all about and anathema to freedom of speech as well as offending the fundamental right of every citizen to fight for their rights," he said.
He noted that the state government also took legal action against Association for the Protection of the Natural Heritage of Malaysia (Peka) president Shariffa Sabrina Syed Akil.
"Shariffa Sabrina had allegedly made the statements in two Facebook posts, dated Dec 29 and 30, 2021, and during a Sinar Harian interview on Jan 12."
"It is the duty of the government to provide clarification or point-to-point rebuttal and not to resort to defamatory action in a blatant attempt to abruptly close up the matter because there can be no constructive public discourse if the matter is brought to trial," he added. - Mkini
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