KUALA LUMPUR, March 22 – Former opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on Tuesday withdrew his defamation suit against Senator Datuk S. Nallakaruppan. Anwar had sued Nallakaruppan over the latter’s claim that he had received RM60 million from Magnum Corporation Bhd.
Anwar when reading out his statement (to withdraw the suit) before High Court judge. Datuk Mohd Zaki Abdul Wahab said he was doing it based on testimony by Nallakaruppan this morning 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.
“Also taking into consideration the denial by the Nallakaruppan on among others on treason and financial abuse by the plaintiff (Anwar), which were made in an affifavit by SAC II Musa Hassan dated Sept 2 1998, the plaintiff is satisfied enough to withdraw this civil suit irrevocably,” said the former Permatang Pauh MP.
Nallakaruppan’s lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah informed the court that in the sprit of the settlement, the defendant did not ask for costs and that the court strike out the suit. On Aug 25, 2008 Anwar filed the suit over alleged defamatory remarks made by Nallakaruppan 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.
Outside the court, when asked by reporters on his relationship with Anwar, Nallakaruppan, 68, said “friend is always friend, both sides happy ending”. At the outset, when cross-examined by Anwar, who was representing himself in the suit, Nallakaruppan denied he made allegations that Anwar had received the money, instead he said his statement had been twisted by the Sinar Harian newspaper.
Anwar had discharged his lawyers Latheefa Koya and N.Surendran last week on the grounds that he had not been given enough time to discuss with his lawyers.
Anwar: You have made the statement that you gave me RM60 million which was published in Utusan Malaysia and Sinar Harian?
Nallakaruppan: I did not make the statement, but it had been twisted by Sinar Harian.
To this, Anwar replied: “Why have you not said this earlier, there is no need to proceed with the trial.”
His reply drew laughter in court room. Anwar, 69, had previously testified in court on Nov 13 last year. 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.
