KUALA LUMPUR, July 17 (Bernama) -- The High Court set five days from July 8,
2013 for the hearing of former Transport Minister Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat''s
RM500 million defamation suit against Bintulu member of parliament and former
Kuala Dimensi Sdn Bhd chief executive officer, Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing.
Judge Datuk Hue Siew Kheng set the dates after meeting Ong and Tiong''s
counsels in chambers today.
The court will also hear Tiong''s suit against Ong to recover RM10 million
claimed to be handed over by the Bintulu MP to Ong as donation to MCA.
Ong''s counsel Tan Foong Luen told reporters that Judge Hue also set Sept 4
as case management for both cases to allow the possibility of further mediation
for an out of court settlement.
Tan said his client (Ong) had categorically set two pre-conditions for a
successful mediation.
First, Ong wanted Tiong to retract his allegation on the RM10 million
donation and second, publish an apology on the matter in all major dailies.
"Its not our condition as counsels but our client who set the
pre-conditions," emphasised Tan.
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Meanwhile, counsel Prem Ramachandran who acted for Tiong said both parties
had engaged in mediation previously but failed to reach an amicable solution.
"Our client''s stand is that he handed over RM10 million to Ong and he wants
the money by the Bintulu MP," added Prem.
On Aug 2009, Ong who is also MCA president, filed the suit against Tiong
claiming he had issued a defamatory statement on the matter which was published
in the Malaysiakini website on Aug 12.
Ong is also seeking aggravated and exemplary damages and an injunction to
restrain Tiong or his agents from making further defamatory statements against
him regarding the issue.
He claimed that the statement was malicious and in bad faith to prevent a
fair and correct investigation into the abuse of funds in the Port Klang Free
Zone (PKFZ) project and Kuala Dimensi''s role in the affair.
Kuala Dimensi is the turnkey contractor for the PKFZ project.
Ong claimed the statement had tarnished his reputation, image, integrity and
good name in the eyes of the public.
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