Ramasamy sends notice to Star
The deputy chief minister wants the English daily and its journalist to apologise within seven days, failing which, he will sue.
(Free Malaysia Today) – Embattled Penang Deputy Chief Minister II P Ramasamy has demanded an apology from English daily the Star and its journalist Ian McIntyre within the next seven days over an allegedly defamatory article published on Dec 23.
Failing which, Ramasamy warned in his notice of demand dated Dec 28 that he would sue both for defamation.
The DAP MP for Batu Kawan also demanded an undertaking from the national daily and journalist that the impugned statements “shall not be printed, published and circulated in future.”
Ramasamy also demanded that an appropriate sum be paid and/or offered as damages for the defamatory article.
In the said article, the Star quoted Ramasamy as saying that there was a plot to oust him because he turned down requests for projects and favours from the party grassroots.
The report prompted party supremo Karpal Singh to call for Ramasamy’s resignation from the Pakatan Rakyat state government. But Ramasamy has since accused the Star of publishing a baseless and frivolous report.
The notice of demand was sent to the Star head office in Petaling Jaya and the Penang-based journalist via AR Registered post by Ramasamy’s legal representative – A Sivanesan and Co.
‘Defamatory caption’
The notice also mentioned that the caption referred in the article entitled “Distress in DAP Continues” were defamatory to Ramasamy.
The notice claimed that the words referred bore and were understood to bear that DAP leaders were corrupt and abusing their power and office, and those impugned statements gave rise to adverse effects.
The notice said the article caused serious damage to Ramasamy’s reputation.
It insisted that the defamatory words on Ramasamy were baseless, unfounded, frivolous and tainted with falsehoods.
