Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim today withdrew his application to cite the former chief commissioner of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), Ahmad Said Hamdan, for contempt for failure to issue a public apology to him as ordered by the court.

The decision was made after both parties agreed to the variation of the consent order by Khalid to a quarter-page apology to be published on page three of the New Straits Times ( NST ) within 14 days.

Justice Lau Bee Lan endorsed the defendants' application for the variation order and instructed the daily to publish the apology by April 29.

Senior federal counsel Abazafree Mohd Abbas told reporters that Lau endorsed the settlement in chambers after Khalid’s counsel, SN Nair, agreed to withdraw the leave application to cite Ahmad Said.

The menteri besar filed the application on April 2 after Ahmad Said and the government failed to comply with the terms of settlement ordered by the court on March 19.

Khalid, 67, in his application, claimed that the defendants had failed, refused and neglected to comply with the court order which instructed them to publish the apology on the front page of the NST.

In his supporting affidavit, Khalid named Ahmad Said and the government as defendants.

Nair later told reporters that his client agreed to the settlement after taking into consideration a letter from NST to the Attorney-General’s Office stating that due to the brand and advertorial positioning of the daily, it was not possible for the daily to publish the apology on the front page.

Under the terms of the settlement of the March 19 order, both parties agreed that Ahmad Said was to issue a public apology and advertise the apology on the front page of the NST within four days of the settlement.

A similar apology in The Star (not front page)had already been complied with by the defendants.

On April 27, 2009, Khalid sued Ahmad Said, the MACC and the government for defamation over a statement that he had abused his powers as menteri besar.

In his suit, Khalid claimed that Ahmad Said had committed libel in his capacity as the then-chief commissioner by disclosing in a press conference on Feb 20, 2009, that the MACC had evidence to show that Khalid had abused his powers.

Khalid initiated the action over Ahmad Said’s media statements relating to the maintenance of his (Khalid’s) personal car and the purchase of 46 cows for a Hari Raya Haji event in the Bandar Tun Razak parliamentary constituency.

- Bernama

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