I wasn’t aware journalist was with news portal, activist tells court

 

Former Penang deputy chief minister P Ramasamy leaving the sessions court in George Town. With him are lawyers Shamsher Singh Thind (right) and C Archana (centre).

GEORGE TOWN: 

A consumer activist sued for libel by former Penang deputy chief minister P Ramasamy told the sessions court here he was not aware that the journalist he spoke to was attached to a news portal.

Taking the stand for the first time, K Koris Atan, 70, testified that his conversation with journalist Ian McIntyre, whom he described as a friend of over 20 years, was merely 

social

 in nature.

I did not know that McIntyre was working with The Vibes,

 he said during cross-examination by Ramasamy’s lawyer, Shamsher Singh Thind.

Ramasamy is suing Koris over an article concerning the construction of a cable car to a hilltop Hindu temple here. The article was written by McIntyre and published in The Vibes last year.

Koris also said he did not know that The Vibes was a news portal and assumed it to be a 

social media

 outlet. 

I never read social media,

 he said.

Shamsher then pointed out that prior to the impugned article, The Vibes had published at least four articles featuring Koris’s comments, all written by McIntyre.

Asked if his defence merely consisted of 

bare denials

 and was an 

afterthought

, Koris agreed. A startled Shamsher repeated his question, which Koris again answered in the affirmative.

Shamsher also said in Koris’s own defence statement, Koris claimed McIntyre did not accurately report their phone conversation which was later used as basis for the article.

When asked why Koris did not contact The Vibes for a correction, he said he would leave the matter to his lawyer.

Trial judge Nasir Nordin set Aug 19 for mention.

P Thannarasu appeared for Koris, while C Archana also represented Ramasamy.

Ramasamy brought his suit against Koris, The Vibes and McIntyre last year, claiming the article portrayed him as irresponsible and neglectful of community needs, thereby damaging his reputation.

This was after Koris allegedly claimed that Ramasamy, the Penang Hindu Endowments Board chairman at the time, had neglected to introduce facilities such as an elevator or cable car to allow disabled and elderly folk to access the hilltop Murugan temple here during Thaipusam.

Koris, who is also the president of the Penang Consumer Protection Association, defended his statements, citing a proposal from a Japanese firm to build a cable car at a cost which he had personally communicated to Ramasamy.

The Vibes and McIntyre settled the suit with Ramasamy last May, agreeing to a consent judgment that included removing the disputed article and issuing an apology.

Ramasamy is seeking general, aggravated and exemplary damages from Koris. - FMT