Guan Eng nafi fitnah pendakwah, dakwa kenyataan dipetik luar konteks

In a legal dispute in the High Court of Penang, former Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng is defending himself against a defamation lawsuit filed by Firdaus Wong. Wong accuses Lim of spreading religious intolerance and undermining the freedom and rights of non-Muslim citizens. Lim denies the defamation allegations, stating that his response to Wong's provocative comments on social media is a counter-reaction.

In his rebuttal to Wong's claim, Lim's lawyer argues that the Facebook video Wong cited was taken out of context, besides accusing Wong of selecting certain excerpts and mistranslating them from Mandarin. The conflict appears to have started after Lim posted a Facebook announcement on June 15 to promote an annual pork-selling event in Butterworth to mark the Nagasawa Boat Festival.

Lim's legal team, represented by the law firm Guok Partnership, filed the lawsuit last week, stating that their clients have the right to respond to Wong's comments, which are considered to have a racial and religious undertone. They emphasize that Lim's video needs to be evaluated in its entirety and not based on isolated excerpts, while arguing that Wong is misinterpreting the true meaning of the video.

Lim denies the defamation charges and rejects the request for an open apology and a payment of RM5 million in damages. Their legal team intends to use a justifiable defense, gentle criticism, and conditional advantages if the case proceeds to trial. Wong filed the defamation lawsuit against Lim at the High Court of Penang, alleging that the former Chief Minister portrayed him as a intolerant religious leader who wants to undermine the freedom and rights of non-Muslim citizens.

In his statement, Wong claims that the statement was made with malicious intent and aimed to incite hatred among non-Muslim citizens towards him. He seeks general damages, aggravated damages, exemplary damages, and a precedent-setting injunction against Lim.