PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim failed to come to a settlement on his defamation suit against Utusan Malaysia and TV3, related to their reports linking him to the Lahad Datu intrusion.

This follows the failure of the mediation held in the High Court in Kuala Lumpur today, before Justice Noraini Ahmad.

The decision was related by Anwar's lawyers, led by Ambiga Sreenevasan.

Lawyer Latheefa Koya, for Anwar said following the non-settlement the court fixed Dec 2 for case management before a registrar to fix the trial dates for the case.

Senior lawyer Firoz Hussein Ahmad Jamaluddin represented Utusan Malaysia .

Anwar, 67, filed the defamation suit on March 8, naming Utusan Melayu (M) Bhd, its editor-in-chief, TV3, Media Prima Bhd group managing editor Shaharudin Latif and Buletin Utama news editor Ing Boon Seng as defendants.

Anwar in his statement of claim refers to the article titled Ketua Pembangkang dikaitkan dengan pencerobohan? (Opposition Leader linked to intrusion?) published on the front page of Utusan Malaysia and another, Tiga kumpulan jadi dalang (Three groups are the masterminds) on Page 9.

The former opposition leader was in court, heavily guarded by prison officers and men, while scores of his supporters and journalists waited outside the courtroom, for the mediation process took place in open court, but in an empty public gallery.