THE Penang High Court today dismissed a defamation suit filed by local business tycoon, Tan Sri Tan Kok Ping, against the Chief Minister of Penang, Chow Kon Yeow, concerning the Silver Jubilee Home (SJH) elderly care centre issue.
Judicial Commissioner Datuk Quay Chew Soon found the impugned statements were not defamatory and that the statements Chow made were fair comments.
"Kon Yeow's statement about the need for a tender, as SJH is not owned by the state government but is a public organisation and not Kok Ping's personal property, is a factual statement.
"My findings are that the contested statement did not carry defamatory or insinuating meaning as claimed.
"I find that the defences of truth, fair comment, and qualified privilege have been proven successfully," he added in a judgment delivered via Zoom.
K. Kirubakaran, Kek Boon Wei and Lee Wen Qian appeared for Tan while Cheah Eng Soon represented Chow.
The judge also found that there was no malice in the comments made by Chow against Tan.
He said since Tan had held two press conferences criticising Chow, it was only appropriate for Chow to use the same platform to reply to Tan.
Previously, Tan, who is also the Honorary Life President of the Penang Chinese Chamber of Commerce (PCCC), had filed the lawsuit claiming that Chow's statements regarding his resignation as a trustee of the charity home were defamatory.
Tan was reported to have resigned along with two others over the matter. - November 26, 2024
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