KUALA LUMPUR (June 14): Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and former prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin announced on Friday that they have agreed to settle their defamation lawsuits against each other.
In a joint statement on their Facebook pages on Friday, Anwar and Muhyiddin said the decision was made after considering the impact of the defamation suits on the public, taking into account the recommendation of the High Court judge, and prioritising the current state of the country, particularly concerning the people's well-being.
Anwar had filed his suit against Muhyiddin in December 2022 over the Bersatu leader's claim during a political ceramah that the prime minister had received RM15 million in payment from the Selangor government when he served as the state's economic adviser.
Muhyiddin, meanwhile, sued Anwar in July 2023 for claiming in a speech that debts totalling RM8.3 billion owed by Felda settlers had been settled during his tenure and not Muhyiddin's.
The two leaders, in their statements, expressed hope that their decision would be respected by all parties, adding that they would not issue any follow-up statements on the matter.
Thanking the High Court judges and court officers involved in the suits, they hoped that the matter would not affect the people's confidence in the judiciary.