Zahid, Muhyiddin agree to settle defamation suit
Published on: Friday, April 26, 2024
By: FMT
Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi (right) had filed the suit against Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin in March 2022.
PETALING JAYA: Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and his Bersatu counterpart, Muhyiddin Yassin, have agreed to settle a suit filed over allegations made by Muhyiddin during the Johor election campaign.
In a joint statement, they said they had agreed to “halt their personal dispute” on the advice of High Court judicial commissioner Gan Techiong.
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They also said the resolution was reached to prioritise “the nation’s current situation, especially the people’s livelihoods”.
“We thank the High Court judge and all the court officers involved. We hope our decision will be accepted and respected by all parties,” they said.
Shahrul Fazli Kamarulzaman represented Zahid, while Chetan Jethwani appeared for Muhyiddin.
Zahid, the Umno president and Bagan Datuk MP, filed the suit two years ago after Muhyiddin alleged that Zahid had asked him to intervene in his ongoing court cases when the Bersatu president was prime minister.
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Zahid denied the allegation, but Muhyiddin persisted, saying he was in possession of evidence to back his claim.
Zahid then said he was willing to take a religious oath to deny Muhyiddin’s claim, and challenged the Bersatu president to do likewise.
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Zahid, the current deputy prime minister, has filed a similar suit against Dr Mahathir Mohamad over the two-time prime minister’s claim that Zahid and several others had in 2018 sought his assistance to have criminal charges brought against them dropped. This suit is ongoing.
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