Anwar, Chandra told to settle out of court

(NST) – The High Court today advised parties in the RM10 million defamation suit by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim against academician Dr Chandra Muzaffar (above) to settle the matter out of court.

Counsel Datuk Firoz Hussein Ahmad Jamaluddin who acted for Chandra told the Press that judge Datuk Nik Hasmat Nik Mohamad set April 3 for mediation.

 “If the parties fail to mediate, the suit will go for trial on the same day,” he said.

 Yesterday, Nik Hasmat also allowed Anwar’s application to amend his statement of claim.  Anwar was represented by lawyers N. Surendran and Latheefa Koya.

 Anwar is suing Chandra over his alleged defamatory statements made at a forum at Menara Star in Petaling Jaya on March 3, 2008, which were subsequently published in newspapers.

 He claimed that Chandra spoke the offending words to disparage him in both his private and official capacities.

 In his statement of defence, Chandra denied uttering maliciously and falsely any defamatory comment concerning Anwar.

 Alternatively, he claimed that if the words were defamatory, which he denied, then they were published on an occasion of qualified privilege without malice.