KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 25— Former business consultant Shamsubahrin Ismail today apologised to Datuk Seri Dr Mohamad Salleh over Facebook postings which allegedly defamed the National Feedlot Corporation Sdn Bhd (NFCorp) executive chairman.
The apology was read out by Shamsubahrin in court this morning as part of a mutual settlement of a defamation suit.
“As a sign of goodwill and to set aside the differences we once had, I Shamsubahrin bin Ismail, apologise and regret any imputations upon the character and reputation of Datuk (Seri) Dr Mohamad Salleh bin Ismail and for any embarrassment, distress, and inconvenience that may have been caused to him as a result of the postings in my Facebook page as referred to in the Statement of Claim.
“I undertake not to repeat the statements or similar statements concerning Datuk (Seri) Dr Mohamad Salleh Ismail, his wife (Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil), his three children and National Feedlot Corporation Sdn Bhd, National Meat and Livestock Sdn Bhd and Real Food Company Sdn Bhd,” English daily New Straits Times quoted Shamsubahrin as saying.
In response, Mohamad Salleh then read out a written statement which read: “I, Datuk (Seri) Dr Mohamad Salleh Ismail, forgives Shamsubahrin bin Ismail and apologises to him (Shamsubahrin) and I have never lodged any police report that accused him of cheating me. Therefore, I state that this matter has been settled.”
On July 3, Mohamad Salleh filed a defamation suit against Shamsubahrin over the latter’s Facebook postings.
The NFCorp chairman claimed that Shamsubahrin had uploaded six statements containing defamatory words against him (Mohamad Salleh) on a Facebook account belonging to Shamsubahrin Ismail Tom between last May 19 and June 23 this year which could be access by the public.
Mohamad Salleh claimed the statements were posted after Shamsubahrin was sentenced to eight years’ jail and four strokes of the cane by the Sessions Court last May 18 for cheating and money laundering.
He stated that Shamsubahrin had claimed being made a scapegoat and was convicted for the offences by the court as a way for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and the Malaysian government to protect him (Mohamad Salleh), as well as to enable the Attorney-General to drop the charges for criminal breach of trust facing the plaintiff.
