KUALA LUMPUR: Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has withdrawn his suit against Damansara MP Tony Pua and a portal owner over a speech at a fund-raising dinner.
Najib’s lawyer Datuk Mohd Hafarizam Harun told reporters that his client has instructed him to withdraw the suit against defendants Pua and Chan Chee Kong.
Mohd Hafarizam said the defendants agreed to the withdrawal under an undisclosed terms.
“The court allowed the withdrawal and then struck out the suit with no liberty to file afresh,” he said after meeting High Court judge Justice Ahmad Zaidi Ibrahim in chambers Monday.
This was the second withdrawal of a suit by Najib. The former premier withdrew his suit against former transport minister Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik while Dr Ling also withdrew his counter-claim against Najib on May 22.
Counsel Michelle Ng acted for Pua while Shahid Adli Kamarudin for Chan.
Najib sued Pua and Chan who is MediaRakyat portal owner, for defamation.
In the lawsuit filed on March 5, 2015, Najib said Pua had delivered a speech at a DAP fund-raising dinner on Nov 3, 2014, relating to the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) where the latter had slandered him.
He said the speech was then uploaded by Chan or his agents onto MediaRakyat's YouTube channel and MediaRakyat's webpage.
Najib was seeking an apology, retraction of the statement and compensation.
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