KUALA LUMPUR, April 6 — The defamation lawsuit filed by Datuk Fahmi Fadzil against the Facebook account owner N13 Kuang, Mohd Fauzan Madzlan, in 2023 over allegations that the communications minister delivered a political speech at a mosque in Rawang, Selangor, was settled at the High Court here today.

Fahmi’s lawyer, Fahri Azzat, informed Justice Datuk Raja Ahmad Mohzanuddin Shah Raja Mohzan that both parties had reached a settlement and agreed to a consent judgment. 

Justice Raja Ahmad Mohzanuddin then recorded the consent judgment to formally conclude the case. The matter was confirmed by Mohd Fauzan’s lawyer, Mohammed Zamri Ibrahim. 

During a press conference later, Fahmi’s co-lawyer, Asheeq Ali Sethi Alivi, said that the consent judgment contained two mutually agreed-upon terms.

“The defendant expressed regret over a Facebook post dated July 31, 2023, which was the subject of the present case. Two key points were agreed upon: first, the defendant acknowledged that YB Fahmi’s speech was neither a political campaign nor politically motivated.

 “Second, the defendant regretted any misunderstanding arising from the statement posted on the Facebook page ‘N13 Kuang’.”

“The defendant sincerely confirmed that Fahmi’s speech on July 30, 2023, at Masjid Nurul Yaqin, Kampung Melayu Seri Kundang, Rawang, Selangor, during the 15th Selangor State Election period, was not a political campaign or a politically charged speech,” the lawyer said.

Fahmi, when met by the media, expressed appreciation for Mohd Fauzan’s acknowledgment and the mutual agreement to resolve the matter amicably.

“I greatly value his confirmation, and I, together with my legal team, will await further developments on whether the two remaining cases will proceed,” he said.

In addition to Mohd Fauzan, Fahmi has also filed lawsuits against independent preacher Ahmad Dusuki Abd Rani and Wan Muhammad Azri Wan Deris, also known as Papagomo, over the same issue.

Based on the writ of summons and statement of claim filed on September 5, 2023, Fahmi claimed that all three defendants published defamatory statements accusing him of misusing a place of worship, namely a mosque, for election campaign purposes and acting contrary to the Sultan of Selangor’s directives.

Fahmi claimed that the defamatory statements were posted on Mohd Fauzan’s Facebook account and Ahmad Dusuki’s Facebook and Instagram accounts on July 31, 2023, and on Wan Muhammad Azri’s TikTok and Facebook accounts on Aug 1, 2023.

He further asserted that the statements were baseless and that the Selangor Islamic Religious Council had confirmed that he did not deliver any politically charged speech, contrary to the allegations made by the defendants.

Accordingly, he sought general, aggravated, or exemplary damages, as well as an injunction to prevent the defendants from repeating or causing the republication of the said statements. — Bernama