KUALA LUMPUR: DAP veteran Tan Sri Lim Kit Siang is suing Kepala Batas member of parliament Dr Siti Mastura Muhammad for defamation.
This is after the Pas MP had allegedly claimed that Lim, among others, was related to notorious former Communist Party of Malaya secretary-general Chin Peng and Singapore's first prime minister, Lee Kuan Yew.
Kit Siang said the legal action goes beyond addressing defamation concerns by highlighting a broader issue given Siti Mastura's role as a public representative and her educational background.
"I want to confirm the statement by DAP Seputeh MP Teresa Kok that I have instructed my lawyers to initiate legal action against Siti Mastura Muhammad.
"This is more than an action to clear my name of defamation, but because Siti Mastura has become a national disgrace, being media illiterate yet holding a position as an MP and possessing a PhD," he said in a statement.
Kit Siang asserted that Siti Mastura's claims mirrored the baseless and extravagant accusations previously made by Pas president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang.
"Hadi had made wild and preposterous allegations that the DAP and I were anti-Malay, anti-Islam, anti-royalty, communist, and spreading Islamophobia.
"But more than a year has passed, and Hadi has not been able to produce any evidence to substantiate these wild, preposterous, and untrue allegations," he said.
Kit Siang also urged Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek to introduce media literacy into the national school curriculum, extending beyond universities to ensure students acquire the skills to engage with media critically.
He said this was essential for cultivating a populace capable of making informed decisions and navigating the complexities of modern media landscapes.
Previously, through a video statement at the Muslimat and Ameerah P040 Kemaman event in Terengganu on Nov 4, which was uploaded on social media, Siti Mastura, who is the Penang Pas Muslimat deputy chief, linked Kit Siang, his son and DAP chairman Lim Guan Eng and the latter's wife, Betty Chew, to Chin Peng and Lee.
Other DAP leaders she mentioned included Kok, Teluk Intan MP Nga Kor Ming, and Beruas MP Ngeh Koo Ham.
Subsequently, Guan Eng initiated criminal action and legal proceedings against the Kepala Batas MP.
Kok also launched a lawsuit against Siti Mastura.
