Tan Kin Lian threatens to sue content creators if they do not take down 'malicious and harmful' content

Tan Kin Lian has an axe to grind against content creators for their "malicious and harmful content" on social media.

The former presidential candidate, 75, is threatening legal action, claiming that the contents shared in the past few weeks have "insulted and defamed" him.

A sombre Tan said on TikTok on Monday (Sept 11): "These contents have caused serious damage to my reputation. I advise these creators to remove them immediately.

"If they still remain on the websites, I will ask my lawyer to send a letter to the creator with a demand for an apology, and an undertaking not to repeat the harmful actions.

"The content creator will also have to pay the legal fees of my lawyers."

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Tan said that those who do not comply with his demands will be taken to court, and warned that the damages will be "in the hundreds or thousands of dollars."

"I don't intend to cause financial hardship to the creators," he said. "So I advise them to act now and to remove the harmful and malicious content."

For those whose identities are anonymous, Tan warned that he will locate them.

He added that the amount of damages will then depend on the trouble he has taken to do so.

The culprits behind the “malicious content” are anonymous social media pages who took content from his interviews with the media and podcasters during the presidential campaign trail, Tan told AsiaOne on Monday (Sept 11).

“They distorted the facts and made defamatory remarks, and spread them virally and widely,” he said, adding that these clips are taken out of context to “twist his words”. 

In a Facebook post on Tuesday (Sept 12), Tan said that a few "malicious people" had passed malicious remarks that he received a commission for promoting Forest City in Johor Bahru.

"That I am acting as a property agent and other insulting remarks," he said. "It is deplorable of these people to cast these aspersions. It shows their low character."

"They will be sued for defamation and will then learn an expensive lesson."

In other posts seen by AsiaOne, one TikTok video shared on Aug 26 labelled Tan as “psychotic” and claimed that he will “make your life difficult”. 

Another Facebook post shared a video of Tan’s Nomination Day appearance, while claiming that he’s a male chauvinist for not allowing his wife to answer questions from the media.

This is not the first time that Tan has hit out against "malicious content".

After a TikTok video compiled several of Tan's past "pretty girls" Facebook posts, he said on Nomination Day (Aug 22) that it was a "concerted effort by attack groups" to smear him.

But he ruled out that these "malicious contents" were from his presidential election opponents Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Ng Kok Song.

READ ALSO: Tan Kin Lian selling used campaign posters at $10 each, charging extra $10 for autograph

chingshijie@asiaone.com