Shah Alam MP, former Selangor exco member settle defamation suit amicably
KUALA LUMPUR: A defamation suit filed by Shah Alam member of parliament Khalid Abdul Samad against former Selangor state executive council member Datuk Dr Hassan Mohamed Ali over the sale of liquor and existence of gaming centres and massage parlours in Selangor was settled amicably in the High Court here yesterday.
Lawyer Muhammad Faiz Fadzil, representing Khalid, informed the court that both parties agreed to settle the case after Hassan agreed to pay damages of RM200,000 and RM25,000 in costs to his client.
The settlement was recorded by judicial commissioner Rohani Ismail at yesterday’s proceedings, which was fixed to hear the defendant’s testimony. Present was Hassan’s lawyer, Nik Alia Hanafi.
On Dec 16, 2016, the court struck out Hassan’s statement of defence after he failed to appropriately file the documents for trial.
On Jan 25 last year, the High Court allowed Khalid’s suit and ordered Hassan to pay him RM200,000 in damages for defaming him over the sale of liquor and existence of gaming centres and massage parlours in Selangor.
However, on Feb 27, a threeman bench of the Court of Appeal allowed Hassan’s appeal for the case to be remitted to the High Court for a retrial before another judge.
It allowed Hassan’s appeal to reinstate his statement of defence, which was struck out, and also set aside the High Court’s decision in ordering him to pay RM200,000 in damages to Khalid.
Khalid, who is now a committee member of Parti Amanah Negara, filed the suit on April 29, 2015, alleging that Hassan, who was then a Selangor exco member, made disparaging remarks against him in a speech in 2012.