KUALA LUMPUR: Penang Deputy Chief Minister II Dr P. Ramasamy has filed a RM10mil suit against a journalist of The Star and Star Publications (M) Bhd over two articles published last year.

Ramasamy filed the suit through lawyer A. Sivanesan, who is also Perak DAP vice-chairman, at the High Court Registry here on Monday.

He named journalist Ian McIntyre and the newspaper publisher as first and second defendants.

The former Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia professor claimed that on Dec 21, McIntyre interviewed him at his office in Komtar, Penang.

He said The Star had “in bad faith” published the article Distress in DAP Continues' on Dec 23, following the interview.

Dr Ramasamy said the article contained defamatory words which could mean that DAP leaders were corrupt, incompetent and that they abused their power and positions.

He said that on Dec 26, he held a press conference here denying the words allegedly uttered by him.

The claim further stated that The Star, through another article What Ramasamy said in the interview with The Star published on Dec 27, implied he was a hypocrite, immoral, dishonest and unfit for any position.

Dr Ramasamy said the articles were further uploaded onto the newspaper's online portal The Star Online.

He said the defendants could not be protected by any of the defence under the Defamation Act 1957 as the printing and publishing had been done in bad faith.

He also said on Dec 28 that his lawyers sent the second defendant a letter asking for an apology and also to stop publishing any defamatory words against him.

However, he claimed that the defendant had failed to do so.

Dr Ramasamy is seeking an interim injunction order preventing both defendants or their agents from printing any further libel against him.

He is seeking RM5mil in damages for libel from each defendant, exemplary and aggravated damages, costs and further relief.

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