14 August 2002
The Editor
Straits Times
In your report “Ruling on case against Chee on Monday” (ST, 14 Aug), you published Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s and Mr Goh Chok Tong’s side of the story – and erroneously. Now I hope you will publish the truth.
You reported that “The apology was published on Oct 31 last year – one day before an article was published in this newspaper containing comments by Mr Lee which, Dr Chee said, spooked the other SDP election candidates into forcing him to apologise.”
This is completely untrue. The plaintiffs’ affidavits stated that the apology was published on 1 November 2001, the same day Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s comments about taking action against my Party colleagues were published. Mr Lee’s comments therefore had to be made before 1 November.
My submission stated that some of my fellow candidates had learned from reports (prior to 1 November) about Mr Lee’s comments and urged me to apologise to the plaintiffs in order to lessen the legal consequences against them.
Hence, the “discrepancy” that you reported did not – I repeat, did not – exist. Mr Davinder Singh had pointed out a phantom discrepancy. It is therefore wholly untrue to report that I had “changed [my] position” because I had not; there was no need to. The error had been made by Messrs Lee, Goh and Singh who now try to hang it on me.
Your report also stated that I had “referred to another article in The Straits Times that was not cited in [my] defence or evidence.” This article was one which the plaintiffs had filed as part of their affidavit. I referred to it only in reply to Mr Singh who had made reference to it in his submissions, and to show that its contents supported my case rather the plaintiffs’.
I hope that such outright misinformation will be rectified immediately.
Chee Soon Juan