Saifuddin apologises to Khalid

SHAH ALAM: PKR election director Datuk Saifuddin Nasution has admitted that slanderous allegations in a document attached to a letter he signed during the height of the Selangor Mentri Besar crisis had affected the good name and reputation of Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim.

Reading out his statement as part of settlement in a defamation suit brought by Khalid, who was Mentri Besar then, Saifuddin agreed that the letter dated Aug 4, titled “Nomination of YB Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail as Selangor Mentri Besar”, was not meant to be used as absolute proof to implicate him over any misconduct or corrupt act.

Among others, he agreed that it had portrayed Khalid as corrupt, cruel, untrustworthy, unethical, without integrity and not fit to be Mentri Besar.

“We express our regrets as well as genuinely and sincerely apologise to Khalid without any condition,” said Saifuddin, who gave an undertaking that the party should not have made the remarks and would stop from repeating the allegations.

All is well: Khalid leaving the Shah Alam High Court after his defamation suit was settled.

The letter, he added, was written and distributed to explain the party’s decision to nominate Dr Wan Azizah to replace Khalid as Selangor Mentri Besar.

Yesterday, Shah Alam High Court Judicial Commissioner M. Gunalan recorded the consent judgment over the suit after Khalid’s lead counsel Edmund Bon said the parties had reached a settlement. PKR’s lead counsel William Leong, who also acted for Saifuddin, confirmed this to the judicial commissioner.

The settlement was apparently reached after PKR leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who was subpoenaed by Saifuddin as witness, stepped in as mediator.

In his statement, Khalid said he accepted the apology.

“In the spirit of this Syawal, I take this opportunity to seek an apology if I have offended any parties, including Saifuddin and other members,” said Khalid.

Khalid had filed his suit on Aug 18 last year, asking for a written apology, damages and an injunction to restrain the defendants from defaming him.

Saifuddin was sued in his personal capacity and as office-bearer of PKR.

Speaking to reporters here, Saifuddin said he had subpoenaed Anwar to be a witness but that he ended up being a mediator, adding that his “skills were better than the lawyers”.