Jeya offers to pay defamation damages by instalments

OPPOSITION leader Joshua Jeyaretnam offered yesterday to pay defamation damages to Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong by instalment in a bid to avoid being expelled from Parliament and barred from practising law.

The veteran critic of the ruling People's Action Party was ordered to pay S$100,000 damages for defaming Mr Goh in a rally ahead of last year's general elections.

"I have today asked my solicitors to inquire whether Mr Goh will accept payment of the judgment . . . in five equal instalments," the Worker's Party leader said.

"I have also offered to pay, with every payment, the interest accrued on the sum up to the date of payment.

"I can only hope that Mr Goh will accept this offer. If his sole purpose is to get some compensation from me for the slander, he should accept my offer.

"I've had to become a beggar and go around and see people to borrow money. "Of course, it's humiliating. I am a poor man."

Mr Jeyaretnam, 72, said that if he was declared bankrupt, he would not be able to continue with his legal practice "and I will not be able to pay anything like what I am offering him".

Mr Jeyaretnam also stands to lose his seat as a non-elected MP if he is declared bankrupt.

He failed to win in last year's general elections, but got into Parliament by virtue of a law entitling the highest-scoring losing party to a seat.

Mr Goh initially was awarded S$20,000 from Mr Jeyaretnam but successfully appealed to have the amount raised to S$100,000 plus legal costs.

Published in the South China Morning Post. Oct 3, 1998