KUALA LUMPUR, 21 August: DAP today announced that its lawyer, Gobind Singh Deo & Co has sent letters of demand to Utusan Malaysia for two articles which contains allegations of a defamatory nature against two party leaders.

If no reply is received to the letters of demand sent today, two separate defamation suits will be filed on behalf of Lim Kit Siang and Lim Guan Eng, Gobind told the press at a media conference in the DAP headquarters this morning.

The 18 August 2013 article by Utusan Malaysia entitled “Kit Siang manipulasi pemilihan CEC”, contained allegations against DAP by one “Father Augustus Chen”, whom Lim Kit Siang has denied knowing.

Gobind said that according to the standards of responsible journalism, facts must be verified before they are published. According to the law, allegations which are found to be lies that affect the reputation of others are actionable and the publisher can be sued for defamation.

“Who is this Father Augustus Chen? Has Utusan met him to verify that he exists, and to verify the claims he is said to make? There is no basis for such allegations… Utusan must prove it,” Gobind said.

Utusan News Editor found liable of defaming Karpal in 2008

Referring to the second offending article, Gobind said that Utusan Malaysia had on 17 August published an article by journalist Kasthuri Jeevandran and News Editor Zulkifli Jalil titled “Akhirnya Guan Eng hentikan drama“. The article accused DAP of failing to notify 753 delegates about the Central Executive Committee elections and also alleged that there were 547 “illegal” delegates who participated in the CEC election.

Utusan News Editor Zulkifli Jalil was also the plaintiff in another defamation suit by Karpal Singh against the newspaper for a 2008 article which branded the DAP National Chairman as “anti-Malay”. The High Court ordered Utusan to pay Karpal RM50,000 in damages, and Zulkifli Jalil apologised to Karpal Singh in court. -The Rocket