Penang CM sues tycoon Tan Kok Ping over state land sale remarks

• In a brief Facebook statement on Thursday, Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said that Tan Sri Tan Kok Ping had used his capacity as the Penang Chinese Chamber of Commerce's life honorary president to have a press conference on an agreement for a proposed development project between Penang Development Corp (PDC) and Umech Land Sdn Bhd.

KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 4): Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow (pictured) is suing business tycoon Tan Sri Tan Kok Ping over the latter's remarks, made in October last year, about a state land sale.

In a brief Facebook statement on Thursday, Chow said that Tan had used his capacity as the Penang Chinese Chamber of Commerce's life honorary president to have a press conference on an agreement for a proposed development project between Penang Development Corp (PDC) and Umech Land Sdn Bhd.

"Even though the termination of the agreement was already announced by PDC to the media and the public on Oct 16, 2023, [Tan] deliberately made slanderous statements in Mandarin during the press conference calculated to attack my character, credibility, competency and capability as the chief minister of Penang and as the chairman of PDC," Chow said, adding that the statements were published in several prominent Chinese language dailies.

Given that there were no attempts to apologise or retract the statements by Tan, Chow said he was "compelled" to pursue legal action against the tycoon.

Case management for the matter has been set for Jan 24 in the Penang High Court.

Chow added that his lawyers had extracted the sealed copy of the writ and statement of claim on Wednesday evening, and it will be served on Tan.

The Edge is attempting to contact Tan for a response.

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