KUALA LUMPUR, June 29 — A defamation suit filed by Shah Alam Member of Parliament Khalid Abdul Samad against former Selangor state executive council member Datuk Hassan Mohamed Ali over the sale of liquor, gaming centres and massage parlours in Selangor has been settled amicably in the High Court here today.

Lawyer Muhammad Faiz Fadzil, representing Khalid, informed the court that both parties agreed to settle the case after Hassan agreed to pay damages of RM200,000 and RM25,000 in costs to his client.

The settlement was recorded by Judicial Commissioner Rohani Ismail at today’s proceeding which was initially fixed to hear the defendant’s testimony.

Also present was Hassan’s lawyer, Nik Alia Hanafi.

On Dec 16, 2016, the court struck out Hassan’s statement of defence after he failed to appropriately file the documents for trial.

On Jan 25, last year, the High Court allowed Khalid’s lawsuit and ordered Hassan to pay him RM200,000 in damages for defaming him regarding the sale of liquor, gaming centres and massage parlours in Selangor.

However, last Feb 27, a three-man bench of the Court of Appeal allowed Hassan’s appeal for the case to be remitted to the High Court for a retrial before another High Court judge.

It allowed Hassan’s appeal to reinstate his statement of defence which was struck out by the High Court on Dec 16, 2016 and also set aside the High Court’s decision in ordering him to pay RM200,000 in damages to Khalid.

Khalid, who is now a committee member of Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah), filed the lawsuit on April 29, 2015, alleging that Hassan, who was then a Selangor state government exco made disparaging remarks against him in a speech at Dewan Rukun Tetangga Seksyen 17 Shah Alam in 2012.

He claimed the video containing the speech was edited and uploaded in YouTube which could be freely accessed by the masses.

Khalid, who was then a former of PAS Central Committee member, alleged that Hassan’s remarks were baseless, false and maliciously intended to tarnish his reputation, image and good name.

Hassan, in his defence, said the words he used were a normal phenomenon in the country’s politivcal scenario, where members of political parties criticised one another for their respective political interests. ­— Bernama