KUALA LUMPUR – Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and former prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin have ended their legal dispute, citing the country’s current state and the rakyat’s wellbeing.
In a statement posted on their respective social media platforms today, they said the decision should not be used as ammunition to undermine public confidence in the judiciary.
“After considering the defamation suit and its effects on the public, the high court judge (suggestion), as well as the country’s current state especially the rakyat’s wellbeing, (we) have agreed and decided to stop (our) personal dispute and court proceedings (involving the defamation suit).
“(We) also hope that this decision can be accepted and respected by all parties, and not be used as ammunition to undermine the people’s wellbeing and stability as well as the public’s confidence in the judiciary,” according to the statement.
Zahid filed a defamation suit against Muhyiddin on April 4, 2022, over the latter’s statement that claimed Zahid had met him and asked him to intervene with his ongoing court cases, during Muhyiddin’s tenure as prime minister.
In the suit, Zahid had initially sought an injunction against Muhyiddin, to stop him from repeating his claims deemed defamatory.
He had also sought aggravated, general, and exemplary damages.
Zahid, 71, was charged in 2018 over several criminal breaches of trust and bribery involving two separate funds – Yayasan Akalbudi and a foreign visa system (VLN) contract.
The trial began in 2019. However, he was discharged and acquitted of 40 bribery charges involving the VLN contract on September 23, 2022.
The following year, on September 4, 2023, he was also granted a discharge not amounting to an acquittal from 12 criminal breach of trust, eight counts of bribery charges as well as 27 charges of money laundering involving millions of Yayasan Akalbudi funds. – April 26, 2024