Defamatory for Koris to say my priorities wrong, Ramasamy tells court

P Ramasamy (centre) with lawyers Shamsher Singh Thind and C Archana at the sessions court in George Town.

GEORGE TOWN: Penang’s former deputy chief minister II P Ramasamy told the sessions court that consumer activist K Koris Atan defamed him by implying he had misused state funds by spending it on a golden chariot for Thaipusam seven years ago.

In an article appearing in The Vibes on Feb 17 last year, Koris claimed Ramasamy, the Penang Hindu Endowment Board chairman at the time, had neglected to introduce facilities such as an elevator or cable car to allow disabled and elderly folk to access the hilltop Murugan temple here.

Testifying today, Ramasamy said Koris’s use of the phrase “getting priorities wrong” in the article implied there was an abuse of public funds.

Responding under cross-examination to lawyer P Thannarasu’s suggestion that his client Koris’s call for an elevator was merely made in the public interest, Ramasamy retorted: “But that is not a licence to defame me.”

Ramasamy also told trial judge Nasir Nordin he was not personally aware of any suggestion by Koris that a cable car link to the Waterfall temple complex should be set up, as claimed.

“The chief minister and state executive council were aware and were notified about plans to connect the temple. The discussions never involved Koris,” he said.

K Koris Atan (left) and lawyer P Thannarasu.

Ramasamy had initially sued Koris, The Vibes and journalist Ian McIntyre for defamation over the article titled “Use funds to give disabled, elderly access to Penang hilltop temple: activist”.

The article also quoted Koris as saying: “We have been complaining about it for a while, but it has fallen on deaf ears. Instead, the state went on to introduce a golden chariot, in addition to the existing traditional silver chariot which leads a procession from town until the Waterfall.”

In the suit, the former Perai assemblyman claimed the article made him appear irresponsible, incompetent and suggested that he misused state funds.

He also claimed it made him look like he prioritised materialism over addressing issues faced by Tamil Hindu individuals, deliberately ignored NGO recommendations for public welfare, politicised religious matters, caused distress to elderly or disabled worshippers, and was, therefore, unfit for his roles in politics and as then chairman of the Penang Hindu Endowments Board.

Koris is the president of the Penang Consumer Protection Association and vice-president of the Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca).

In his defence, Koris claimed he had personally told Ramasamy that a Japanese company had proposed to construct a cable car line at cost price for the benefit of devotees who were unable to take the 513 stairs leading to and from the temple.

The trial was adjourned to May 13 and 14 after McIntyre, who was scheduled to testify today, could not appear due to illness.

Last May, The Vibes and McIntyre resolved their dispute with Ramasamy by entering into a consent judgment before the same judge pursuant to which the portal agreed to take down the article. It also published a clarification and apology.

Ramasamy is seeking general, aggravated and exemplary damages.

Lawyers Shamsher Singh Thind and C Archana appeared for Ramasamy.