Najib and Rosmah withdraw suit against Rafizi

KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has withdrawn a suit he filed with his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor against PKR vice-president Rafizi Ramli and a portal owner over an issue involving oil subsidies.

It was the fifth time that the former prime minister had dropped legal action against various parties after the 14th General Election in which the Barisan Nasional government led by Najib lost power.

Rafizi’s counsel Ranjit Singh said High Court Judicial Commissioner Rohani Ismail ordered the plaintiffs to pay RM10,000 in cost each to Rafizi and Media Rakyat owner Chan Chee Kong within 14 days beginning yesterday.

“We also withdrew our counterclaim with no order as to cost,” Ranjit said after both parties met Rohani in chambers yesterday. Joanne Leong acted for Chan. Najib and Rosmah’s counsel Datuk Mohd Hafarizam Harun confirmed the matter.

In their suit, Najib and Rosmah said Rafizi had allegedly made a slanderous speech against them at a forum in Bandar Tun Razak here on Nov 22, 2014, on issues relating to the removal of oil subsidies.

Najib claimed that Rafizi, who is the former Pandan MP, uttered offending words in respect of his office.

Rosmah claimed that Rafizi’s words implied she had committed a criminal act.

The plaintiffs said the recording of the speech was uploaded by Chan onto Media Rakyat’s account on YouTube and the portal’s Facebook page.

Between May 22 and June 20, Najib withdrew four defamation suits against the following:

> May 22 – Former MCA president and transport minister Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik over an alleged misuse of public funds;

> May 28 – Damansara MP Tony Pua and Chan over a speech at a fund-raising dinner;

> June 1 – Harakah managing director and writer Dr Rosli Yaakop and Harakahdaily portal’s editor-inchief Taufek Yahya over allegations of misuse of 1Malaysia Development Bhd funds; and

> June 20 – Mkini Dotcom Sdn Bhd, Malaysiakini editor-in-chief Steven Gan and former chief editor Fathi Aris Omar over a series of readers’ posts published on the news portal four years ago (this suit was filed with Umno executive secretary Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh).