KUALA LUMPUR: Pendang MP Datuk Awang Solahuddin Hashim has retracted statements he made against Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as part of a settlement reached between the two parties.
The retraction was part of a settlement reached between Awang Solahuddin and Anwar, who filed a suit against the MP on March 3, 2023, over statements allegedly made by him in the Parliament lobby while attending a Dewan Rakyat sitting on Feb 21 that year.
Under the terms of the settlement, Awang Solahuddin humbly and unequivocally withdrew all statements he had made and agreed not to repeat or republish any such statements, or statements conveying a similar meaning, in the future.
The statements, which were recorded and made public, allegedly implied that Anwar had abused his powers as Prime Minister and Finance Minister by interfering with, obstructing or issuing arbitrary directives to law enforcement and prosecution agencies for personal political purposes.
The Prime Minister maintained that Awang Solahuddin’s remarks had damaged his reputation as a respected national and international leader.
Anwar’s lawyer, Datuk SN Nair, informed High Court judge Roslan Mat Nor that both parties have reached an agreement on the terms of settlement.
“Both parties wish to record the agreed terms. Accordingly, the plaintiff withdraws the suit with no order as to costs and without liberty to file afresh.
“Both parties have attached a copy of a mutually agreed public statement to the consent motion.
“We thank the court and learned counsel, and request that the scheduled trial dates be vacated,” he said, Bernama reported.
Lawyer Yusfarizal Yussoff, representing Awang Solahuddin, confirmed the matter.
Justice Roslan subsequently struck out the lawsuit with no order as to costs and without liberty to refile, while vacating the trial dates scheduled for Oct 26 to 29, 2026.
He expressed appreciation to Anwar and Awang Solahuddin for resolving the matter amicably and for Anwar’s decision to withdraw the case.
According to a public statement obtained by the media, the parties said they had reached a final settlement after considering the implications and costs of continuing the defamation proceedings, as well as the need to prioritise matters of greater importance to the people and the nation.
Both parties also expressed their appreciation to the judge and court officials involved for their professionalism, wisdom and efficiency throughout the proceedings.
They also urged all parties to respect the resolution and refrain from using the case to undermine national harmony, unity and stability.
