KUALA LUMPUR, 10 MARCH, 2010: The High Court will hear on April 5 the inter parte application by MCA youth chief Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong for an injunction to restrain Tan Sri Robert Phang and The Star newspaper from further publishing alleged defamatory statements linking him to the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) issue.

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Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong

Judicial Commissioner Dr Prasad Sandosham Abraham fixed the date after granting the application by Wee's counsel, Ben Chan, for an adjournment as he needed time to reply to Phang and the Star's affidavit regarding the matter.

The court was scheduled to hear the application today.

Chan informed the court that Wee also needed time to reply to Phang and the Star's affidavit on their application to set aside an ex-parte injunction which he obtained on Jan 21, preventing Phang from holding or organising a press conference on Jan 22.

On Jan 22, Phang's press conference to respond to a challenge by Wee was halted after 20 minutes when Wee's lawyer turned up with the ex-parte injunction order.

Chan told the court that he received Phang and the Star's statement of defence yesterday and need to reply to it.

Gobind Singh Deo and Ang Hean Leng, who acted for Phang, and Yee Mei Ken and Chai Siew Wan, for the Star, had no objections to the postponement.

Dr Abraham also fixed the same day to hear the application by Phang and the Star to set aside the ex-parte injunction order and ordered both parties to exchange their affidavits before the hearing.

On Feb 9, Wee filed a defamation suit naming Phang, a Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commisssion (MACC) advisory committee member, and the English daily as defendants over statements published between Dec 25, 2009, and Jan 12,
2010.

 In his statement of claim, Wee, who is Deputy Education Minister, claimed that the statements were understood to mean that he was involved in or committed the offence of corruption and/or abuse of power.

Besides the injunction, he also sought general damages, aggravated damages, exemplary damages and interest at eight per cent per anum. 
 

Phang, 71, who is chairman of the Social Care Foundation, in his statement of defence, said his statements were fair comment and were made on an occasion of qualified privilege.

Also claiming qualified privilege, the Star in its defence. said that as a responsible news publisher, it had the social and moral duty to report and publish the news and statements concerning Wee's involvement in PKFZ as they were of public interest and importance because he was a politician and a public figure.
 

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