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Wednesday, January 13, 2016

Najib denies making Liong Sik a ‘scapegoat’ for WSJ

KUALA LUMPUR - Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has denied making a “scapegoat” of Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik for US publication Wall Street Journal (WSJ) and others in his defamation lawsuit against the former MCA president.

In court papers responding to Dr Ling’s countersuit, Najib also said he was not required to take legal action against WSJ and others before suing his Barisan Nasional (BN) colleague for defamation over allegations that public funds had been placed in his private bank accounts.

Najib denied Dr Ling's claim that the defamation suit was filed to make the latter “a scapegoat or collateral damage” as part of a scheme to justify his actions in receiving the money, saying that it is for the former federal minister to prove he would be made so.

“The defendant, in claiming to be an 'elder statesman' should be mature enough and be responsible in dealing with the repercussion of his own actions,” Najib said in his statement of defence to Dr Ling's counterclaim.

Alleged by Dr Ling to be abusing the judicial process, Najib in his reply said he has a right to take legal action against anyone who had defamed him and he could choose to do so “at any time” according to the law.

“It is not a 'pre-requisite' for the plaintiff to take legal action against the WSJ, SR, Umno leaders who had defamed the plaintiff before commencing this action against the defendant.

“The defendant cannot escape from the liability in defamation only because the plaintiff has yet to take any action against other slanderers,” Najib said.

Last October 27, Najib filed a defamation suit against Dr Ling last October over the former transport minister’s reported remarks that the prime minister “has taken people’s money and put it in his own personal accounts.

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