Raja Nong Chik and Nurul Izzah reach out-of-court settlement

(The Star) – Former Cabinet minister Datuk Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin has settled his defamation suit against Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar and two others after she read out a statement of apology in open court on Thursday.

Raja Nong Chik, former Federal Territories and Urban Well-being minister, had sued for statements allegedly defaming him over the sale of land in Bukit Kiara.

Nurul Izzah read out a statement saying that she found that there was a mistake in her media statement given on May 4 last year, a day before the 13th general election.

She said she found that her statement had affected the good name and reputation of Raja Nong Chik as a politician, accountant, businessman and as a minister as well as his family’s.

She expressed regret making over the statements and promised she would not repeat them.

In his libel suit filed on July 17 last year, Raja Nong Chik named Nurul Izzah,  online news publisher Mkini Dotcom Sdn Bhd and its reporter Lu Wei Hoong as defendants.

High Court judge Justice Nik Hasmat Nik Mohamed recorded a consent judgment between the parties and did not make any order as to costs.

“I congratulate the parties to come up with an amicable settlement,” said Justice Nik Hasmat.

At the outset, Raja Nong Chik’s counsel M. Reza Hassan said the parties have reached an agreement and applied for a consent judgment to be recorded according to the terms where Nurul Izzah has to read out the statement in open court.

Reza told the judge that the action against Lu would be withdrawn following which Mkini would publish Nurul’s statement on its website within seven days.

Nurul Izzah’s lawyer Edmund Bon and Mkini’s lawyer A. Lourdes Abishegam confirmed the terms reached following a mediation process.

Raja Nong Chik told reporters that he was satisfied with the settlement over the suit which had dragged for over a year.

“I decide not to proceed with the case due to this being a good month and also due to the country mourning over the MH17 tragedy. We must be united,” he added.

In his suit, Raja Nong Chik had sought for a court order to force the defendants to publish an apology, on his terms.

The former senator claimed that Nurul Izzah has caused the publication of libellous and false statement against him at a press conference on May 4 last year.

He said Nurul Izzah had caused similar statements to be published in Malaysiakini.

He claimed that the words implied that he misused his position as a minister for his personal interest and gain.