Supposedly PM Lee's younger brother has confirmed to some media sources that he had contributed unnamed amount to Leong's legal crowd funding efforts!!
"Leong Sze Hian files defence and counterclaim against PM Lee over alleged defamation
SINGAPORE: Blogger Leong Sze Hian, who is being sued by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong for defamation over the sharing of an article, has filed a counterclaim, along with his defence.
PM Lee's suit against Mr Leong alleges that the financial adviser shared a "highly defamatory" article claiming that Mr Lee helped former Malaysian counterpart Najib Razak launder money.
In the court documents, it was said that Mr Leong removed the offending Facebook post once he was ordered to by the Info-communications Media Development Authority, three days after it was put up.
"He does not assert that what the article said or is alleged to have said was true," said Mr Lim in Mr Leong's defence, adding that all Mr Leong did "was to share without endorsement or comment a link to an article" which had been sent to him on Facebook.
He will argue that the claim against him is "unnecessary to vindicate the Prime Minister's reputation" since the people of Singapore generally "knew that he and the Government were asserting that the article was false in the entire three-day period it was on our client's Facebook page", said Mr Lim in the documents.
Mr Leong has also filed a counterclaim against the prime minister for alleged "abuse of the process of the court" as there is "no proper need to pursue these proceedings".
He pointed out that PM Lee "has not taken legal action against anyone in respect of these articles" except for Mr Leong, claiming that "thousands" of others published or shared the offending articles online.
In his counterclaim, Mr Leong asserted that he had suffered "damage to his reputation" through the court proceedings brought against him by PM Lee and also asked similarly for damages to be assessed should he succeed in his counterclaim."
This is an interesting case.
Is PM Lee or his legal team overly sensitive n protective by going after a blogger over an article that he shared without any comments?
What if he had added the comments like: the allegations in this articles r serious n PM Lee n his legal team must refute them publicly?
or
What if he asked the Q. can PM Lee clarify if these "allegations" r true?
Would this blogger or anyone who posted these Qs or Statements b considered as promoting a defamatory information?
PM Lee has gone after opposition politicians n news media companies, publishers, editors n reporters-new n traditional type- n the people mostly accepted tgose legal suits.
Now this case if PM Lee won, will means nobody can share anything negative or any negative questions being asked of the PM henceforth.
What if questions need to be asked n answers given to help the public understand or clarify their doubts abt certain "unproven runours or allegations"?
Maybe these questions should b raised in the parliament by MPs fr whichever party for the people under the Parliamentary Immunity protection so that these rumours or allegations can be properly dispelled or clarified?
The concerns by some people is that this "even if u shared an unproven allegation", will will b charged may means no one will dare to question the power-that-be. This may not ne good for a democratic society where besides self-checking, diverse sources can also ask questions n check on the power-that-be.
If course, if rumours n allegations r thrown ard, the best way is to dispel any doubts or confusions by directly refuting them n cut the spread further.
An educated n well informed populace will know what is true n what is false hearing fr the alleged accused.
This the PM n his team can do expeditiously with the power n resources at his disposal.
Should the PM sue the originator of the false information? Absolutely! As for selectively penalizing a particular sharer or some sharers, it is overreacting? Yes? No?
"Leong Sze Hian files defence and counterclaim against PM Lee over alleged defamation
SINGAPORE: Blogger Leong Sze Hian, who is being sued by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong for defamation over the sharing of an article, has filed a counterclaim, along with his defence.
PM Lee's suit against Mr Leong alleges that the financial adviser shared a "highly defamatory" article claiming that Mr Lee helped former Malaysian counterpart Najib Razak launder money.
In the court documents, it was said that Mr Leong removed the offending Facebook post once he was ordered to by the Info-communications Media Development Authority, three days after it was put up.
"He does not assert that what the article said or is alleged to have said was true," said Mr Lim in Mr Leong's defence, adding that all Mr Leong did "was to share without endorsement or comment a link to an article" which had been sent to him on Facebook.
He will argue that the claim against him is "unnecessary to vindicate the Prime Minister's reputation" since the people of Singapore generally "knew that he and the Government were asserting that the article was false in the entire three-day period it was on our client's Facebook page", said Mr Lim in the documents.
Mr Leong has also filed a counterclaim against the prime minister for alleged "abuse of the process of the court" as there is "no proper need to pursue these proceedings".
He pointed out that PM Lee "has not taken legal action against anyone in respect of these articles" except for Mr Leong, claiming that "thousands" of others published or shared the offending articles online.
In his counterclaim, Mr Leong asserted that he had suffered "damage to his reputation" through the court proceedings brought against him by PM Lee and also asked similarly for damages to be assessed should he succeed in his counterclaim."
This is an interesting case.
Is PM Lee or his legal team overly sensitive n protective by going after a blogger over an article that he shared without any comments?
What if he had added the comments like: the allegations in this articles r serious n PM Lee n his legal team must refute them publicly?
or
What if he asked the Q. can PM Lee clarify if these "allegations" r true?
Would this blogger or anyone who posted these Qs or Statements b considered as promoting a defamatory information?
PM Lee has gone after opposition politicians n news media companies, publishers, editors n reporters-new n traditional type- n the people mostly accepted tgose legal suits.
Now this case if PM Lee won, will means nobody can share anything negative or any negative questions being asked of the PM henceforth.
What if questions need to be asked n answers given to help the public understand or clarify their doubts abt certain "unproven runours or allegations"?
Maybe these questions should b raised in the parliament by MPs fr whichever party for the people under the Parliamentary Immunity protection so that these rumours or allegations can be properly dispelled or clarified?
The concerns by some people is that this "even if u shared an unproven allegation", will will b charged may means no one will dare to question the power-that-be. This may not ne good for a democratic society where besides self-checking, diverse sources can also ask questions n check on the power-that-be.
If course, if rumours n allegations r thrown ard, the best way is to dispel any doubts or confusions by directly refuting them n cut the spread further.
An educated n well informed populace will know what is true n what is false hearing fr the alleged accused.
This the PM n his team can do expeditiously with the power n resources at his disposal.
Should the PM sue the originator of the false information? Absolutely! As for selectively penalizing a particular sharer or some sharers, it is overreacting? Yes? No?
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