FMT:
Najib, Tommy Thomas settle memoir defamation suit
3 hours ago
Faisal Asyraf
The suit is withdrawn with no order as to costs and without liberty to file afresh after an amicable resolution is reached
Former prime minister Najib Razak had sued former attorney-general Tommy Thomas and publisher GB Gerakbudaya Enterprise Sdn Bhd over part of the contents of Thomas’s memoir.
SHAH ALAM: Former prime minister Najib Razak has settled his defamation suit against former attorney-general Tommy Thomas and publisher GB Gerakbudaya Enterprise Sdn Bhd over part of the contents of Thomas’s memoir.
The settlement was recorded before High Court judge Justice Khadijah Idris after lawyers for both parties informed the court that an amicable resolution had been reached.
“The terms of the consent judgment have been recorded by the court. As a result, the plaintiff’s civil suit is withdrawn with no order as to costs and without liberty to file afresh,” the judge said.
Earlier, Thomas told the court via his lawyer Alan Adrian Gomez that he was not aware of any evidence linking Najib to the murder of Mongolian model Altantuya Shaariibuu since the publication of his book in 2021.
“I stand by the statements and opinions expressed in Chapter 42 of my book, ‘My Story: Justice in the Wilderness’, that the statutory declarations of Sirul Azhar Umar and Azilah Hadri corroborated one another.
“I accept, however, that since the publication of my book in 2021, I am not aware of any evidence linking Najib to the murder of Altantuya, although I understand that investigations have taken place since the publication of the book,” he said.
Thomas added that he would include the statement if his book was reprinted or republished.
“In the event that my said book is further reprinted and or republished, the statement above shall be stated in the said book on the same pages as the publication of the impugned statements, currently appearing at pages 404 to 405,” he said.
Najib sued Thomas and Gerakbudaya over allegedly defamatory statements in Chapter 42, titled “Altantuya”, in Thomas’s book published in early 2021.
The former Pekan MP sought unspecified damages, the removal of words he claimed were defamatory, an apology, and a permanent injunction to restrain further publication of such statements.
Najib was represented by Shafee Abdullah while R Gokul acted for Gerakbudaya.
Thomas was also represented by Mervyn Lai and Haikaldin Mahyidin.
The settlement was recorded before High Court judge Justice Khadijah Idris after lawyers for both parties informed the court that an amicable resolution had been reached.
“The terms of the consent judgment have been recorded by the court. As a result, the plaintiff’s civil suit is withdrawn with no order as to costs and without liberty to file afresh,” the judge said.
Earlier, Thomas told the court via his lawyer Alan Adrian Gomez that he was not aware of any evidence linking Najib to the murder of Mongolian model Altantuya Shaariibuu since the publication of his book in 2021.
“I stand by the statements and opinions expressed in Chapter 42 of my book, ‘My Story: Justice in the Wilderness’, that the statutory declarations of Sirul Azhar Umar and Azilah Hadri corroborated one another.
“I accept, however, that since the publication of my book in 2021, I am not aware of any evidence linking Najib to the murder of Altantuya, although I understand that investigations have taken place since the publication of the book,” he said.
Thomas added that he would include the statement if his book was reprinted or republished.
“In the event that my said book is further reprinted and or republished, the statement above shall be stated in the said book on the same pages as the publication of the impugned statements, currently appearing at pages 404 to 405,” he said.
Najib sued Thomas and Gerakbudaya over allegedly defamatory statements in Chapter 42, titled “Altantuya”, in Thomas’s book published in early 2021.
The former Pekan MP sought unspecified damages, the removal of words he claimed were defamatory, an apology, and a permanent injunction to restrain further publication of such statements.
Najib was represented by Shafee Abdullah while R Gokul acted for Gerakbudaya.
Thomas was also represented by Mervyn Lai and Haikaldin Mahyidin.
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Personally I don't believe in the stories linking Najib with the late Mongolian, pursued fanatically by PKR with even one member photoshopping a 'Paris dinner' linking them - "someone" must have kacau up the "association" to smear Najib - naughty lah.
Au Contraire ...people with knowledge of the investigations into the Altantuya murder have asserted without doubt there was a definite connection between Najib
ReplyDeleteand the deceased...Najib was the original link to Altantuya, with Razak Baginda later coming u to the picture.
In the murky world of Malaysia's power elite, the truth is never going to be declared in public.
Meanwhile plenty of people Die Die support Naiib come what may, including still asserting that Najib is innocent in the 1MDB case.
must be based on evidence, not popular rumours which M'sians are notorious for - thus far, you have shown zilch other than "people with knowledge of the investigations into the Altantuya murder have asserted without doubt there was a definite connection between Najib and the deceased"
Delete