ALOR STAR: Barisan Nasional (BN) parliamentary candidate for Alor Star Tan Chee Hiong today said he is filing a legal suit against the Kedah Menteri Besar for making malicious and immoral allegations against him.
Tan, who is also the national MCA Youth vice-chief, said he decided to take legal action against Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor for slandering his family with malicious and unfounded allegations.
"His statement is completely false and unfounded with malicious and slanderous intentions towards me, my father and my family.
"He made the statement with the intention to smear my reputation to the public and to influence the voters against voting for me.
"My father is very disturbed by the allegations and willing to be a witness in the legal suit trial," Tan said in a press conference at the MCA Alor Star office here.
Tan also showed copies of documents from the Insolvency Department to prove that his father was not a bankrupt. Present was MCA Alor Star adviser Tan Sri Chor Chee Heung.
Tan also presented proof that his father had undergone three surgeries on his spine and leg since 2016, which forced him to retire from running the family's hardware business in Sik.
"Our family had always wanted him to retire from the business due to his health and the business is currently being run by my cousin.
"These Insolvency Department reports dated on Nov 14 prove that my father is not a bankrupt and the company is still in operation in Kampung Begia, Jeniang," he said.
He added that the hardware business was inherited from his grandfather, who started the business back in 1985.
Tan said he was utterly disappointed with Sanusi for backstabbing his family as they knew each other very well for many years.
"My father knows Sanusi as he's from Kampung Sungai Pau, just nearby to Kampung Begia. I can't believe he had backstabbed my family with such unfounded allegations.
"Before this, we knew that as the MB, he has been saying bad things to other people and now I am the latest victim. For as long as he's the MB, we don't know who will be his next victim," he said.
Yesterday, Tan issued a statement expressing sheer disappointment with Sanusi for accusing him of causing his father's hardware business to go bankrupt.
It was reported that Sanusi uttered the remarks during a Perikatan Nasional (PN) rally in Kampung Gading here on Saturday.
Sanusi had alleged that Tan had caused his father's hardware business to go bankrupt after exhausting RM2million of his father's money to fund his businesses. As such, Sanusi urged the voters in Alor Star not to make a mistake by voting for Tan in GE15.
Meanwhile, Chor took a swipe at Sanusi, saying that it was unbecoming for him to stoop so slow to shore up support for the candidate for his party.
"I am very disappointed with him. How can he lead the state with such an attitude," he asked.
Chor also asked Pas Kedah if the party had no other better candidate to be appointed as the Menteri Besar.
He added that Tan would be filing his legal suit against Sanusi after the Nov 19 polling day, as everyone was busy now with the GE15 campaign.