Leo Moggie should give a report to Parliament next week on the latest developments on the RM13.6 billion Bakun hydroelectgric dam project

Media Statement
by Lim Kit Siang

(Petaling Jaya, Friday): Ekran executive chairman, Tan Sri Ting Pek Khiing, said yesterday that he would sue freelance journalist M.G.G. Pillai over his posting on Bakun on the newsgroups on the Internet, which had made the following points:

  • that work on the Bakun site had stopped, that several experts had left and payments had not been made;
  • that there were six deaths from a tunnel collapse at the Bakun site; and
  • that he had used the project to exploit timber there.

    Berita Harian today reported Ting as saying that he had instructed the Ekran legal adviser, Victor Wong, to study the possibility of asking for RM13.6 billion in damages from M.G.G. Pillai.

    If Ting proceeds with his RM13.6 billion defamation suit against Pillai, it would be history in two senses: the first suit in Malaysia for defamation arising from a posting on the Internet and secondly, as being probably the first defamation case in the world with the highest quantum of damages being demanded.

    Pillai is already a �millionaire� in being ordered to pay RM2 million in damages in a defamation suit by tycoon Tan Sri Vincent Tan and now may become a �billionaire� if Ting wins his billion-ringgit defamation suit against him.

    While the Malaysian public would be following with interest Ting�s announcement of his intention to sue Pillai for defamation, the people want to know what is happening in the Bakun project.

    The Minister for Energy, Telecommunications and Posts, Datuk Leo Moggie, should give a report to Parliament next week on the latest developments on the RM13.6 billion Bakun hydroelectric dam project, with particular reference to the various allegations made by Pillai.

    (4/4/97)

    *Lim Kit Siang - Malaysian Parliamentary Opposition Leader, Democratic Action Party Secretary-General & Member of Parliament for Tanjong