Former Kulim Bandar Baru MP Zulkifli Noordin and Utusan Malaysia have agreed to pay an undisclosed amount in costs to former PKR deputy president, senator Syed Husin Ali.

 

This follows the former Perkasa leader agreeing to retract his defamatory blog posting and the Umno-owned daily agreeing to withdraw its article quoting the blog.

 

Zulkifli also apologised for the blog posting titled ‎' Anjing-anjing Pencen ' (retired dogs) remark that inadvertently referred to Syed Husin, and also to withdraw his counter-claim on the former PKR deputy president.

 

The settlement was recorded by Kuala Lumpur High Court judicial commissioner Vazeer Alam Mydin Meera today.

Utusan Malaysia which quoted the blog posting, paid costs to Syed Husin.

The Umno-owned daily also agreed to withdraw an article titled ‘Zul Noordin nafi dakwaan Syed Husin’ (Zul Noordin refutes Syed Husin's claim), dated Nov 20, 2011.

 

Zulkifli's apology in open court was read out by his lawyer, Mohd Ruzaini Zulkifli.

 

Syed Husin ( left ), as the plaintiff, had testified mid-way in the trial and the hearing was scheduled to resume today only for it to be settled.

 

He was represented by N Surendran and Latheefa Koya, while Firoz Hussein Ahmad Jamaluddin appeared for Utusan Malaysia .

 

Claim made in blog

 

In 2012, Zulkifli had claimed in his blog that Syed Husin had made him an offer to vacate his parliamentary seat.

 

In return, Zulkifli alleged Syed Husin said PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim would offer him a post in a Selangor state government subsidiary worth between RM50,000 and RM60,000 a month.

Zulkifli’s claim was reported in Utusan .

This resulted in Syed Husin reportedly filing a RM10 million suit against Zulkifli and Utusan.

 

Syed Husin's statement of claim stated that the defamatory words meant that he was guilty of corrupt practice, had committed a criminal offence, was a hypocrite, and unfit as a politician and leader of a political party.

 

It also meant that Syed Husin was a dishonourable politician and unfit to hold a post as a senator in the Dewan Negara.

 

Syed Husin claimed the blog posting and Utusan's publication had injured his character and reputation, and he was seeking RM10 million in damages, exemplary damages and also an injunction to restrain the defendants from publishing similar libelous material.