KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 22 — Umno’s decision to withdraw the civil suit against Tian Chua and two others does not mean that the party has conceded defeat.
Its secretary-general, Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor (picture) said the decision followed Tian Chua’s offer to settle a defamation suit on the publication of an article on the Lahad Datu intrusion in Sabah.
PKR vice-president Tian Chua made the offer to Umno via the party’s lawyer Datuk Mohd Hafarizam Harun in the presence of Umno executive secretary Datuk Ab Rauf Yusoh.
“Umno will never compromise or concede defeat but in this case, the defendant wanted to settle out of court and regretted what happened,” he said in press statement, here today.
He also submitted documents on the judgment order between Umno and Tian Chua with two others, which said Tian Chua regretted the article entitled ‘Umno Orchestrated Lahad Datu Shooting Incident.’
Editor of KeadilanDaily.com Fazallah Pit and article writer Aisha Geoffrey, named as the second and third defendants in the defamation suit, had immediately removed the article from the website.
Tengku Adnan said although the defamation suit was settled, Tian Chua still faced sedition charges in the Session Court following police reports on the intrusion.
On April 11, 2013, Ab Rauf filed a suit against Tian Chua, Fazallah and Aisha for the article posted on KeadilanDaily.com on March 1 last year which linked Umno with the Lahad Datu intrusion.
However, Umno withdrew the suit on January 13, 2014 after both parties agreed to settle the suit based on the agreed terms.
The agreement was recorded in front of High Court Judge Rosilah Yop. — Bernama
