DAP’s Lee lodges police report for defamation
Ex-DAP assemblyman Jenice Lee wants deputy chairman Tan Kok Wai investigated under the Penal Code for allegedly defaming her to the press.
Anisah Shukry, FMT
Former DAP assemblyman Jenice Lee lodged a police report today against the party’s deputy chairman Tan Kok Wai for allegedly defaming her.
Lee alleged that Tan, who was also DAP’s disciplinary chief, had on April 24 told the media that she was involved with embezzlement, corruption, and abuse of power without evidence to back up the accusations.
“I deny all of Tan’s defamatory media statements and urge the police to investigate this case under Section 500 and 501 of the Penal Code,” Lee read out from her police report outside the Pandan Indah police station here.
The newspapers had quoted Tan as saying that Lee had been aware that her assistant, Lee Hsuan Ba, was abusing his power and involved in embezzlement.
Tan told the media that Lee had attempted to cover up her assistant’s actions and was thus, was abating Lee.
But Lee had strongly denied this.
“As a result of the published reports about me in China Press, Nanyang Siang Pau, Sin Chew Jit Poh, Guang Ming Daily and the Oriental Daily, the people have lost their trust in me,” Lee said.
She said the libelous news articles, which quoted Tan, had caused DAP to drop he as a candidate to contest in the 13th general election despite her anticipating that she would be contesting for the Teratai state seat.
Lee then contested as an independent candidate against DAP and BN in the May 5 polls, resulting in her sacking from the party. She also lost in the polls.
However, she was reinstated as a party member after the Registrar of Societies (ROS) declared the party’s internal elections in December as null and void thus, allowing to take part in the re-election last month.
Lee and 11 other previously sacked members were each then issued letter of reason on Oct 10.
