Anwar And Ahmad Amzad Settle Defamation Suit

KUALA LUMPUR, March 5 (Bernama) - The suit filed by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim against Kuala Terengganu Member of Parliament Datuk Ahmad Amzad Hashim was settled amicably in the Kuala Terengganu High Court today.

The suit was filed over Ahmad Amzad’s alleged defamatory statement that Anwar lied when he said he only received a salary of RM1 when he was the Selangor Economic Adviser.

Lawyer Datuk SN Nair, representing Anwar, said both parties reached an out-of-court settlement and agreed to issue a public statement.

“The settlement was recorded before Judge Datuk Hassan Abdul Gani at the Kuala Terengganu High Court today,” he said in a statement.

 According to Nair, both parties agreed to end the dispute after considering the impact of the suit as well as the legal costs that they would incur since many bigger or more important issues needed attention.

He said it followed Ahmad Amzad's action to withdraw the statement made by him on Dec 7, 2022, and in effect, Anwar withdrew the suit.

The settlement is a mutual agreement and Anwar withdrew the suit with no liberty to refile and with no order as to costs, he said.

Nair said both parties expressed their appreciation to the judge and court officers involved and hoped that the decision would be accepted and respected by all parties and not be turned into something that could jeopardise the prosperity and harmony in Malaysia.

In the statement of claim filed on Dec 22, 2022, Anwar, who is also PKR president claimed that Ahmad Amzad had made several statements to a group of customers while dining at a restaurant on Dec 7.

Anwar said the statements implied, among other things, that he was untrustworthy and dishonest about receiving millions of ringgit from the Selangor government when he was its economic adviser.

It also implied that he deceived the public by stating that he received a salary of RM1 as an economic adviser, committed a criminal offence and betrayed the people’s mandate.

Anwar claimed that the slanderous statements were false, malicious and disparaging, adding that he was highly respected nationally and internationally as someone who was against corruption.

He also denounced allegations that he was politically motivated.

-- BERNAMA