Educated Siti Mastura Should Not Have Relied On Debunked Source

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DAP chairperson Lim Guan Eng and two party heavyweights contended that PAS lawmaker Siti Mastura Muhammad should not have relied on a debunked source over claims they have blood ties with a communist and a former Singapore prime minister.
In the trio’s reply to Siti Mastura’s defence against their defamation suits, Guan Eng, his father Lim Kit Siang and Seputeh MP Teresa Kok made the contention over an alleged BN campaign handbook.
The three plaintiffs pointed out that the defendant cannot rely on the handbook as a defence because it has already been debunked by BN deputy chairperson Mohamad Hasan and former Umno supreme council member Isham Abdul Jalil.
Guan Eng, Kit Siang and Kok said that Siti Mastura, by virtue of her being Kepala Batas MP as well as holding a doctorate, should have done her due diligence.
“It is incumbent on academicians/researchers like her, as a rule of thumb, being formally trained in research techniques and protocols, be fully aware that only materials that are wholly, inter alia, authentic, authoritative, peer-reviewed and reliable, shall be relied upon and nothing else.
“Failing which, any such reference to unauthentic, unauthoritative and unreliable references to the so-called publication, the existence of which has been debunked as non-existent by BN itself, is deemed to be, inter alia, extremely irresponsible, reckless and grossly negligent.
“As such, the defendant’s alleged research on the matter is wholly preposterous and unbecoming of a politician and more so a doctorate holder,” the three plaintiffs said.
When contacted by Malaysiakini, the trio’s counsel Sankara Nair confirmed the reply was filed at the George Town High Court on Feb 2.
‘Legitimate facts’
Previously, the media reported Siti Mastura claiming that her remarks, made at a political ceramah late last year, was based on legitimate “facts” contained in the handbook, which she said was a reliable source.
On Nov 27 last year, Guan Eng, Kit Siang and Kok filed their civil actions against Siti Mastura.
The three lawsuits are over the defendant’s speech at a Kemaman by-election campaign event at Dewan Berlian, Majlis Perbandaran Kemaman, on Nov 4.
Siti Mastura had claimed that the three DAP leaders were related to Communist Party of Malaya leader Ong Boon Hua, popularly known by his nom de guerre Chin Peng, and Singapore’s first prime minister Lee Kuan Yew.
The plaintiffs seek general, compensatory, aggravated and exemplary damages, as well as an injunction to restrain the defendant from further uttering the allegation. - Mkini

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