Nizar to seek advice before decision on PAS man’s delayed defamation settlement

IPOH, Feb 6 — Perak Amanah deputy chairman Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin today said that he will deliberate on Perak PAS commissioner Razman Zakaria’s decision to use a post-dated cheque to settle payment of a defamation suit.

Mohammad Nizar said he will discuss the matter with his lawyer Mohd Fitri Asmuni to find out the remaining mitigation methods available.

“We have to find out if there is real intention of deliberately delaying the payment and what are the effects from it.

“If there is no effect, then we will give consideration. We can even wait five years if there is no effect,” he told a press conference after a working visit to DEM Draexlmaier Automotive Systems Sdn Bhd in Chepor here.

Mohammad Nizar pointed out the reason he rejected the post-dated cheque, submitted by Razman’s representative to his lawyer, yesterday was not out of arrogance.

“I did not reject the cheque because of arrogance. I have given him plenty of time to settle the payment. The court decision was also so long.

“We have given them chance before taking the matter to court. We asked him to apologise and there was also an effort to discuss the matter out of court, but they showed no interest,” he said.

“When he presented the cheque, it was post-dated. Even school students know that they should reject a post-dated cheque. Anything can happen in five days,” he added.

Yesterday, Razman had, in a report, described Nizar as arrogant for rejecting his post-dated cheque worth RM254,150, which was dated February 10.

Razman issued the cheque a day after Mohammad Nizar revealed that he will be initiating bankruptcy proceedings against the former.

Mohd Fitri previously told Malay Mail that Mohammad Nizar made the decision because there was no payment made to his client despite a letter sent to Razman’s lawyer on January 23 requesting payment within seven days.

However, Razman yesterday said that he will stick to this payment method in settling the defamation damages and stressed that he was ready to go to court over the matter.

In 2016, Mohammad Nizar filed a RM3 million suit against Razman claiming that the latter’s statement, published in a local Malay language newspaper on June 2, 2015, was defamatory and had tarnished his image as a politician.

In 2017, the Sessions Court here ordered Razman to pay RM200,000 in damages to after finding the PAS leader liable for the slander.

Razman appealed the case but subsequently lost.

Last November, the Court of Appeal upheld the High Court’s decision to order Razman to pay Mohammad Nizar RM200,000 in damages over the article with costs.