Jelutong MP RSN Rayer (second from right) shaking hands with Penang’s Opposition Leader, Muhammad Fauzi Yusoff, (in blue) after the defamation suit, with them are Rayer's lawyer Simon Murali (extreme right) and Muhammad Fauzi's lawyer Yusfarizal Yusoff (extreme left) outside a Sessions Court in George Town, Penang.
GEORGE TOWN: Penang’s Opposition Leader, Muhammad Fauzi Yusoff, has issued a formal apology to Jelutong MP RSN Rayer for comments he made about the latter in 2023.
Muhammad Fauzi from PAS read out his statement of apology before Sessions judge Helmi Ghani in open court and admitted he was wrong to claim that Rayer was being racist, arrogant, and irresponsible.
Muhammad Fauzi said that his statement was made based on unverified information from several individuals who met him about a fire incident in Solok Sungai Pinang on June 2, 2023.
"During a speech on June 2, 2023, at a Perikatan Nasional talk in Balik Pulau, I made statements against the Jelutong MP (Rayer), relying on information from several people who met me regarding a fire incident.
"I made a mistake by taking verbal information from several of those people who were at that time in an emotional state.
"I did not check with the residents and the public about the validity and accuracy of the verbal information relating to the incident," he said in court on Thursday (April 24).
Muhammad Fauzi, who is also the Penang PAS Chief, said he did not want to prolong the matter.
“To avoid prolonging the matter further, and to focus on more meaningful work, like developing the nation and the welfare of the people of Penang, I offer this public and unconditional apology to the plaintiff (YB RSN Rayer).
"I willingly withdraw the statement I made during the talk on June 2, 2023 as described in the statement of claim.
"I hope that we can turn a new page and move forward with the spirit of unity for the well-being, harmony and prosperity of the Malaysia we love," he said.
Muhammad Fauzi was ordered to pay Rayer RM10,000 in legal costs apart from the apology.
In Sept 2023, Rayer filed a defamation suit against Muhammad Fauzi for comments made about him at a talk.
In his statement of claim, Rayer said Muhammad Fauzi had lied in his speech and had depicted him (Rayer) as being racist, arrogant and irresponsible in carrying out his duties as an MP.
Rayer alleged that Muhammad Fauzi had claimed that Rayer had told victims of a fire in Jelutong that he did not mind losing Malay and Indian votes.
Rayer said Fauzi claimed that the victims had scolded Rayer and his aides for visiting them only after a team from PAS had done so.
Rayer said he had met the fire victims in the morning that day, while the group from PAS visited them at around 3pm.
Rayer was represented by lawyer Simon Murali while Yusfarizal Yusoff represented Muhammad Fauzi.
