KUALA LUMPUR: A lawyer is suing 10 Klang councillors, a newspaper and its publisher for implying that he was not fit to be a state assemblyman.
M. Manoharan said that the councillors had defamed him through a publication in Oriental Daily News dated March 22.
He said the words had meant that he considered himself superior after he was elected as Kota Alam Shah assemblyman and did not co-ordinate with the Klang Municipal Council.
Alternatively, Manoharan said that the words had portrayed him as anti-social, lazy, arrogant, corrupt, not dedicated and had embarrassed the council.
He had named Oriental Daily, its publisher Penerbitan Cerdas Maju Sdn Bhd and 10 councillors as defendants.
Suan, Lee Sack Choon, M. Nalan, Raju Veerasamy, P. Sundarajoo, Tang Heng Kim, Tan Chee Geap and Yew Boon Lye.
On Tuesday, High Court Judicial Commissioner Vazeer Alam Mydin Meera had ordered the defendants to file their statement of defence within two weeks and set Dec 13 for case management, Manoharan told reporters here.
In his statement of claim, Manoharan said that the councillors had failed to raise any formal complaint to him at anytime.
He said that Oriental Daily and its publisher had failed to contact him to know truth before published the news.
He is seeking general damages for libel, aggravated and exemplary damages and an injunction to stop the defendants from publishing similar defamatory words against him.
In his suit filed on Oct 21, he is claiming interest, costs and other relief deemed fit by the court. The Star