Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin Abu Bakar today withdrew his application for leave to appeal a court’s refusal of his appeal against a decision in allowing Anwar Ibrahim to amend his statement of claim in a suit against Khairy.

A five-member bench of Federal Court judges presided over by Appeals Court president Md Raus Sharif struck out the application with no order as to costs.

The other judges were Chief Judge of Malaya Zulkefli Ahmad Makinudin, Hashim Yusoff, Datuk Ahmad Maarop and Sulong Matjeraie.

Earlier, Khairy’s counsel Sarah Abishegam informed the court that the applicant was seeking to withdraw the application with no order as to costs.

Counsel Gobind Singh Deo, who acted for Anwar, did not object to the application.

Speaking to reporters later, Gobind said with this development, the amended statement of claim by Anwar remained.

The amendment to the statement of claim was in relation to the alleged defamatory words uttered by Khairy.

On March 14, the Appeals Court dismissed Khairy’s appeal over the Kuala Lumpur High Court’s refusal of his appeal.

On March 18 last year, the High Court dismissed Khairy’s appeal to set  aside the court’s senior assistant registrar’s decision in allowing Anwar to amend the statement of claim.

Anwar filed the civil suit against Khairy on Sept 7, 2007, claiming that  the latter, who was then Umno Youth deputy chief, had defamed him (Anwar) at a political function in Kuala Kangsar, Perak, in August 2007.

The opposition leader claimed that the defamatory statements uttered by Khairy were carried by the print and electronic media in the country on Aug 3, 2007.

The High Court fixed three days, from Jan 15 next year, to hear the suit.

- Bernama