Under The Angsana Tree: PM Lee sues Blogger for sharing article

Update 17 May 2021: $262,237.22 handed over to Singapore’s Prime Minister’s lawyers for Leong Sze Hian’s payment of damages and cost

A cashier order of S$262,237.22 was hand-delivered to lawyers of Singapore Prime Minister, Lee Hsien Loong on Monday, for the payment of damages, legal cost and disbursement in a defamation suit filed against Mr Leong Sze Hian, a blogger and financial adviser.

Mr Lim Tean, counsel for Mr Leong posted this as an update on his Facebook page and shared the letter accompanying the cashier order.

Both visited the Guoco building where Davinder Singh Chambers is situated at, to hand the cashier order over to the law firm.

Lim Tean 16 hrs

I hand-delivered the following letter & cheque to Lee Hsien Loong's lawyers just now....

The letter attached reads...

Dear Sirs,

Please find our client's DBS cashiers order for the amount of $262,327.22 being full and final payment of the damages together with legal costs and disbursements awarded to your client.

Your client will be aware that every cent of this amount was donated to our client by the people of Singapore in an epic demonstration of their condemnation and anger at your clients use of the libel laws to silence and chill dissent.

It was conduct unbefitting of a Prime Minister.

The courageous citizens of Singapore were determined not to allow your client the satisfaction of suing critics until their pants drop.

Your client may have won in a court of law, but this cashiers order is proof that he has lost decisively in the court of public opinion.

Yours Faithfully

Lim Tean

S$262,327 fully raised by Leong Sze Hian to pay defamation damages, cost and disbursement to Singapore Prime Minister

As of 9.38pm on Saturday, Mr Leong Sze Hian has managed to raise the full sum of S$262,327 to pay off the Singapore Prime Minister for the damages, legal cost and disbursement in a defamation suit filed by the latter — two days ahead of the deadline for payment set by Mr Lee Hsien Loong’s lawyers.

On 10 May, the High Court granted the full claim of legal cost and disbursement, totalling S$129,327 to PM Lee. This is on top of the S$133,000 awarded to PM Lee in March this year for purpose of damages. “Having considered the arguments of the parties, the Court is satisfied that the appropriate costs payable by the Defendant is as follows: Costs of $50,000 to the Plaintiff plus disbursements claimed of $79,327.22.” wrote the court in a letter addressed to both parties on Monday (10 May).

Subsequently on 12 May, lawyers for PM Lee gave a deadline of 17 May for Mr Leong Sze Hian to pay up the full $262,357 for the damages, cost and disbursements ordered by the court in the defamation suit between the two. Prior to the lawyers’ announcement of the deadline, Mr Leong managed to raise $65,032 over the span of 26 days. This meant that he had to raise a sum of S$64,295 within the next five days. Mr Leong had previously successfully raised the full damage of S$133,000 awarded to PM Lee through a crowd funding campaign in 11 days.

Leong Sze Hian May 15 at 9:41 PM

Breaking News: At 9.38 pm today, 15 May - The people have crowdfunded fully the $262,327 for the Prime Minister's defamation suit's damages, cost and disbursements.

I am very very grateful for your support, concern and encouragement, over these two and a half years!

If you like to - please write something and share with your friends

Leong Sze Hian

Roy Yi Ling Ngerng May 15 at 9:48 PM

This is such amazing news! Singaporeans, you have once again come together to raise enough funds for Leong Sze Hian to pay Singapore prime minister Lee Hsien Loong.

Hsien Loong wanted to force Sze Hian to pay the money by this coming Monday, while Sze Hian is blocked from posting on Facebook groups.

But you have come together again, to stand up against the bullying and oppression. This is wonderful, wonderful news, and makes me so delighted on this Saturday evening, that we have once again made history.

You are amazing, Singaporeans, we have just conducted a 2-month long resistance to stand by the people who have spoken up for us.

Both Sze Hian and I are so grateful to you. I am so proud too that you have all stood up when it mattered. Thank you, and you have so much to be proud of!

Minister Shanmugam Responds To Facebook Comments

Opposition members from PSP, SDP & PV gather to celebrate successful crowdfunding for Leong Sze Hian

Opposition politicians from three different political parties - People's Voice (PV), Progress Singapore Party (PSP), and Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) met yesterday, April 10, for an "alliance of issues" over lunch.

According to a Facebook post by Lim Tean, leader of the PV, the event had been hosted by Non-Constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP) and PSP politician Leong Mun Wai, to congratulate Leong Sze Hian on his "recent very successful crowdfunding campaign". Lim wrote that the successful campaign marked a "significant political transformation" amongst Singaporeans.

Leong is a Singaporean politician and blogger, who had been ordered to pay S$133,000 in defamation damages to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, earlier this year on March 24.

Blogger Leong Sze Hian ordered to pay PM Lee $133,000 for defamation over sharing of article

The High Court has ordered blogger and financial adviser Leong Sze Hian to pay Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong $133,000 for defamation.

The sum includes $100,000 in general damages and $33,000 in aggravated damages.

Mr Leong was sued for sharing, on his Facebook page, an article from the Malaysian news site The Coverage that falsely linked PM Lee to the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) corruption scandal in Malaysia.

Leong Sze Hian declines to enter witness box in defamation suit by Lee Hsien Loong

PM Lee Hsien Loong (left) and Leong Sze Hian. (PHOTO: AP, leong.hian/Facebook)

Opposition politician Leong Sze Hian, who is being sued by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong for defamation, declined to testify and be cross-examined on the second day of the civil trial at the High Court on Wednesday (7 October).

The high-profile trial, which had originally been scheduled to last till Friday, was adjourned for closing arguments next month. Leong’s lawyer Lim Tean told Justice Aedit Abdullah that the plaintiff’s case was “frivolous and vexatious” and did not require his client to testify in his defence, according to media reports.

On Tuesday, Lee testified and was cross-examined by Lim.

PM Lee v Leong Sze Hian defamation suit: Blogger declines to take stand, lawyer says there's no case to answer

Lim Tean and Leong Sze Hian at the High Court on Oct 7, 2020. (Photo: Gaya Chandramohan)

Mr Leong Sze Hian did not take the witness stand in the defamation case brought against him by the Prime Minister on Wednesday (Oct 7), with his lawyer saying there was no case to answer and Mr Lee Hsien Loong's lawyer saying Mr Leong has "turned tail" from the fight.

This means there will not be any more hearings for the rest of the week and all parties will file written submissions and return to court on Nov 30 for oral arguments to determine liability.

Mr Leong, a blogger and financial adviser, is being sued by Mr Lee for defamation over a Facebook post Mr Leong made in November 2018, sharing an article by Malaysian website The Coverage.

PM Lee's Defamation suit against blogger Leong

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong arrives at the Supreme Court on Oct 6, 2020

Hearings have begun in Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s defamation suit against a blogger who shared an article about him on Facebook. Lee sued Leong Sze Hian for posting a link to a Malaysian news site that alleged the prime minister had helped launder 1Malaysia Development Bhd. funds. The Singaporean leader, who has sued other people for defamation while in office, arrived in court on Tuesday to give evidence and undergo cross-examination. Lee’s lawyers have said the accusations are false and baseless.

The offending words in the post “meant and were understood to mean that the plaintiff was complicit in criminal activity relating to 1MDB,” according to Lee’s opening statement to the court. They “meant and were understood to mean that the plaintiff corruptly used his position as prime minister to help Mr Najib launder 1MDB’s billions,” the statement said, referring to former Malaysian premier Najib Razak.

Taking the stand in court, Lee said when an accusation is made against him as the prime minster, “the government has to take it very seriously. I have to take it very seriously.” He added: “I have to protect my own reputation and standing.” Lee is seeking aggravated damages and an injunction that Leong be prevented from publishing or disseminating the allegations, or other allegations of complicity relating to the embattled Malaysian state fund, according to the Straits Times.

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Court of Appeal throws out blogger Leong Sze Hian's counterclaim against PM Lee

Mr Leong Sze Hian had filed a defence and countersuit against Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong last year, arguing that PM Lee's defamation suit against him is an abuse of the process of the court.PHOTO: ST FILE

Blogger Leong Sze Hian has lost an appeal to make a counterclaim in a libel suit brought against him by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

Mr Leong had filed a defence and countersuit against PM Lee last year, arguing that the Prime Minister's defamation suit against him is an abuse of the process of the court.

But the Court of Appeal, comprising Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon and Judges of Appeal Andrew Phang and Judith Prakash, threw out Mr Leong's suit on Friday afternoon (Sept 27). The apex court also ordered Mr Leong to pay $20,000 in costs.

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Blogger Leong Sze Hian fails to reinstate counterclaim against PM Lee

A blogger who sought to reinstate his counterclaim against Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had his appeal dismissed on Friday (27 September).

Leong Sze Hian argued through his lawyer Lim Tean in the Court of Appeal that PM Lee had improperly brought about a civil suit to silence him and to “gag political speech”.

“He may be a litigant in person but he is bringing libel action to protect the reputation of his government, his libel actions have a chilling effect on free speech,” Lim told a panel of three judges comprising Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon, and Judges of Appeal Andrew Phang and Judith Prakash.

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Apex court dismisses blogger Leong Sze Hian’s appeal in PM Lee defamation case

The Apex court dismissed an appeal by blogger Leong Sze Hian on Friday (Sep 27) against a decision by a high court judge to strike out his counterclaim against Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

The three-judge court, which reiterated that Mr Leong's argument of abuse of process was not part of the law of Singapore, also ordered Mr Leong to pay the Prime Minister costs of S$20,000.

Mr Leong's lawyer Lim Tean, who founded political party Peoples Voice, had contended that there was an abuse of court process when Mr Lee brought a defamation suit against his client for sharing a Facebook post.

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Netizens point out the irony of PM Lee telling world leaders to ‘resolve differences calmly and peacefully’

We should try our best to resolve our differences calmly and peacefully, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the United Nations (UN) event on Tuesday (24 September). The event, Leadership Matters – Relevance of Mahatma Gandhi in the Contemporary World, was hosted by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Gandhi’s birth.

In his speech, PM Lee said that mutual understanding, tolerance and respect can be built only when people start to appreciate the views of others, especially in an increasingly diverse and interconnected world. He said, “Differences are more easily amplified, and people more readily take offence. Tensions and conflicts are prevalent not just between countries, races and religions, but also within them.”

The premier called on other countries to contribute to global efforts, as Singapore has, in promoting respect and mutual understanding.

PM Lee sues blogger for sharing an article

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong is suing blogger Leong Sze Hian for defamation after he shared an article alleging that PM Lee had helped former Malaysian counterpart Najib Razak launder money. A pre-trial conference for the case is expected to take place on Jan 7.

The article, titled "Breaking News: Singapore Lee Hsien Loong Becomes 1MDB's Key Investigation Target - Najib Signed Several Unfair Agreements With Hsien Loong In Exchange for Money Laundering", was carried on Malaysian website The Coverage on Nov 7.

The article was originally published by the States Times Review two days earlier, but it was the version by The Coverage that Mr Leong, 65, shared on Facebook on Nov 7, without any acompanying caption.

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Law Minister says there is no civil liability for sharing fake news, so why is Leong Sze Hian being sued for civil defamation?

On Thursday (9 May), tech and lifestyle site Vulcan Post posted a video where they had invited the Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam to answer some questions asked by netizens regarding the controversial Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Bill (POFMA).

One of the questions that was raised was whether an individual will go to jail if he or she shares a fake news.

As a reply, Mr Shanmugam clearly said that if a person receives a news and forward it in good faith, then there is no problem with it at all.

“There is no criminal liability, there is not civil liability. At most, you will receive a correction. So you don’t even need to worry about jail and so one,” he said.

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Singapore's fake news law passed

The Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA) was passed in Parliament on Wednesday (8 May), bringing to a close a process which began with the Select Committee on Deliberate Online Falsehoods holding public hearings early last year.

The new law comes as governments around the world grapple with the spread of fake news, and its potential impact to sow social discord or even political upheavals such as affecting the outcome of elections.

The Singapore government has said that the new law will help society guard against malicious actors who knowingly spread harmful falsehoods and act against public interest. It has stressed that the law targets falsehoods, not opinions and criticisms, nor satire or parody.

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K Shanmugam Sc Like This Page · 2 April

The Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Bill was tabled in Parliament yesterday.

The proposed law targets false statements of fact – not opinions, not criticisms.

There’s been some debate online over the Government becoming the “arbiter of truth”. This is not the case.

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Michelle Chong Like This Page · 3 May

Premium Lian interview Dua Liap Minister K Shanmugam Sc

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Lim Tean: Political activist Leong Sze Hian is Singapore’s Rosa Parks in defamation suit against Singapore PM

Lawyer and politician Lim Tean compared the current suit by Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong against blogger Leong Sze Hian to a suit by human rights activist Rosa Parks and said that Sze Hian is Singapore’s Rosa Parks, in a speech he made at the Speaker’s Corner on Saturday.

The speech was part of an Abuse of Process rally conducted by Lim, where he accused the Prime Minister of allegedly abusing processes against ordinary Singaporeans.

In attendance at the rally were folks like professor Paul Tambyah, activist Jolovan Wham and former presidential candidate Tan Kin Lian, among hundreds who turned up on Saturday.

In his speech, Lim Tean equated Leong’s fight against PM Lee with the case of activist Rosa Parks who was arrested for failing to give up her seat to a white person, and who was arrested and charged in court before the United States Supreme Court ruled segregated buses unconstitutional.

“What (Leong) is doing today in Singapore is what no one has ever done before, and it is to stand up to a powerful figure and tell that person enough is enough,” Lim said. “I’m not going to be railroaded, I am going to stand my ground, I am going to defend myself.”

Among the accusations made at the rally, Lim said that PM Lee had allegedly abused the process of the court in filing a suit against Leong for sharing a post on Facebook written by Malaysian publication The Coverage that was allegedly defamatory.

In the article, it was insinuated that Lee made “secret deals” with his disgraced former Malaysian counterpart Najib Razak to help launder money looted from sovereign wealth fund 1MDB.

However, the information was refuted by the original source, news site Sarawak Report, which said that the report was erroneous and “unclear in its direction and meaning”.

The report from The Coverage picked up problematic material from news site States Times Review, which has been blocked in Singapore.

Lim questioned why PM Lee did not sue the writer of The Coverage who was behind the post that Leong shared.

“Lee Hsien Loong may fire volley after volley against (Leong) Sze Hian, but I can assure (PM Lee) he will be receiving two volleys for every volley he fires until the fateful day when all of us will meet in court and the truth will emerge,” he said, to thunderous applause from the crowd.

In quoting Winston Churchill, Lim said that the courage Leong had to fight for freedom of expression was going to make the case between Leong and Lee “one of the seminal cases in our nation’s history”.

Last December, Leong was served papers by law firm Drew and Napier acting on behalf of PM Lee, which alleged that the article Leong shared “disparage and impugn (PM Lee’s) character, credit and integrity”.

In a series of counterclaims, Leong filed a counterclaim alleging that the suit was “an abuse of the process of the court”, according to Mothership.

Both PM Lee and Leong’s lawyers have filed counterclaims to strike out each other’s cases.

PM Lee’s office said that the prime minister will continue to take legal advice on developments, according to a report by the Hong Kong Free Press.

related: Lim Tean: Political activist Leong Sze Hian is Singapore’s Rosa Parks in defamation suit against Singapore PM

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Abuse of Process Rally at Hong Lim Park attracts about 1,000 people

Reaction to PM Lee’s defamation suit

The rally was held after PM Lee sued Leong in early December 2018. Lim then announced suddenly that he was representing Leong by taking on his case.

PM Lee’s lawyers subsequently filed an application to strike out Leong’s abuse of process counterclaim. This then led Lim and PM Lee’s lawyers to apply to strike out each other’s claims in court.

One day before the rally on Jan. 25, Lim shared that he applied to strike out PM Lee’s defamation action against Leong, by citing an “Abuse of Process of the Court” as one of the reasons.

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Lawyers of PM Lee & Leong Sze Hian apply to strike out each other’s claims in court

An application to strike out Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s original claim of defamation against blogger Leong Sze Hian is going to be filed.

The lawyer representing Leong, Lim Tean, told Channel News Asia he would file the application by this week.

Lim of Carson Law Chambers informed the media about this development after lawyers on both sides met for the first pre-trial conference in High Court on Monday, Jan. 21. The brief conference was to find out how far along both parties are in litigation, CNA reported.

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Lee Hsien Yang said he gave "meaningful sum" to blogger Leong Sze Hian

Mr Lee Hsien Yang, the younger brother of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, has confirmed he has donated money to blogger Leong Sze Hian, who is facing a defamation suit filed by the Prime Minister.

Responding to TODAY’s queries on Thursday (Dec 27), the younger Mr Lee said that he gave Mr Leong a “meaningful sum”.

When pressed further on the amount, he replied "It is not S$1".

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Lee Hsien Yang is the first to donate to Leong's defence fund

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s own younger brother, Lee Hsien Yang, is the first to give to blogger Leong Sze Hian’s defence fund as Leong prepares to defend himself in legal proceedings brought on by PM Lee.

Earlier, PM Lee commenced legal proceedings against Leong for defamation after the latter shared an article on his Facebook page that alleged that the head of government helped launder 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) funds.

Leong, who initially said that he was “bewildered” by PM Lee’s actions said today that he is fighting the claims against him in court. Besides filing a defence, Leong is also filing a counterclaim against PM Lee for “abusing the process of the court in bringing the claim against me.”

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Leong Sze Hian counter-sues Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong for launching defamation suit - The Online Citizen

In an unexpected move, Leong Sze Hian, financial consultant and veteran blogger had filed a countersuit against Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong for the abuse of the process of the Court.

Lim Tean, who is representing Leong in both suits, announced on Facebook on Wednesday with a statement from the Carson Laws Chambers that he has accepted the case from Leong and said that he is looking forward to cross-examine the PM in court.

Lim wrote, "Mr Leong did not choose to pick a fight, but now offers battle to uphold the freedom of expression in Singapore, a fundamental human right which he has fought tirelessly for more than 2 decades."

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