Anwar withdraws defamation suit against ex-tennis partner
Judge records consent judgment as the former opposition leader is satisfied with Nallakaruppan’s explanation about Anwar Ibrahim’s alleged sexual misconduct.
(FMT) – Former opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has settled his defamation suit against his former tennis partner following a mediation exercise.
Lawyer Latheefa Koya said Anwar withdrew the suit after he was satisfied with the explanation by S Nallakaruppan with regard to his (Anwar) alleged sexual misconduct.
“The court then proceeded to record a consent judgment,” she told reporters after the mediation before judicial commissioner Roslan Abu Bakar.
Lawyer Sarah Abishegam represented Nallakaruppan.
Meanwhile, lawyer Wan Azmir Wan Majid, who appeared for Utusan Melayu (Malaysia) Bhd and its editor-in-chief Abdul Aziz Ishak, said the terms of settlement would be published in the newspaper within seven days.
Anwar, the former Permatang Pauh MP, also named the Umno-linked publisher and Aziz as defendants for publishing Nallakarupppan’s statement.
He filed a RM100 million suit on March 26, 2012, against the three over an article published in Utusan Malaysia that claimed he was unfit to lead the opposition coalition and that he was bisexual.
In December, Roslan urged all parties to explore the possibility of settling the case.
A year ago, Anwar also withdrew another defamation suit against Nallakaruppan for allegedly saying the former opposition leader had received RM60 million from Magnum Corporation Bhd.
Anwar said he took into account the evidence of Nallakaruppan that his (Nallakaruppan’s) speech in campaigning against Anwar during the Permatang Pauh by-election in 2008 was not reported accurately and twisted by the media.
He filed this suit on Aug 25, 2008 over the alleged defamatory remarks made in an article titled, “Anwar terima RM60 juta” (Anwar receives RM60 million), which was published in the Mingguan Malaysia and Sinar Harian newspapers in August 2008.
Anwar is currently serving a five-year jail term at the Sungai Buloh Prison after the Federal Court, on Feb 10, 2015, upheld his conviction and sentence for sodomising his former aide, Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, in 2008.
