Yong sues DAP, Roketkini over false image
Published on: Thu, Jul 17, 2025 Text Size: (Left to right) Asraf, Stephan, Yong, Tungku Community Leader Datu Shuaib Mutalib and lawyer Yong Yit Jee. Kota Kinabalu: Roketkini.com, a media outlet affiliated with the Democratic Action Party (DAP), has removed an article published in 2013 that contained a misleading photo falsely attributed to the Lahad Datu incursion. However, it has now been confirmed that the image was, in fact, taken from an unrelated conflict in the southern Philippines.
Advertisement The misrepresentation, critics argue, incited public fear and distorted the historical narrative of a critical national security event. The lawsuit, filed on 10 July 2025 by former Chief Minister Datuk Seri Yong Teck Lee, historian Stephan Gaimin, and activist Asraf Amir, names both DAP and Roketkini.com as defendants. The plaintiffs claim the false image influenced both public perception and even academic publications concerning the 2013 Sabah crisis. A check of the original article link 'Hand the Lahad Datu incursion issue to the Ministry of Defence, not Wisma Putra – Kit Siang' now leads to a standard '404 – Page Not Found' error. Yong emphasized the seriousness of the misrepresentation which he said came without public apology, correction, or clarification. 'I decided on legal action because probably more people and organisations out there are mistaken in relying on the DAP propaganda mouthpiece, since DAP is a government party and the biggest party in Parliament. He further recounted seeing the same image misused during an international arbitration colloquium in 2023, and again in a university-published academic book, highlighting how far the false narrative had spread. While the image's removal is being acknowledged as a 'Round 1 victory', the plaintiffs assert that accountability is far from over. 'We demand a public apology from DAP for spreading fake news that not only misrepresented historical events but also led to widespread concern and fear within the community,' read the joint media statement. The group is also calling for a formal undertaking from DAP to prevent future dissemination of false or misleading content. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available.
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