Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad today settled his defamation suit against former Selangor exco member Hasan Ali after Hasan agreed to pay RM200,000 in damages and RM25,000 in costs.

This settlement was recorded by High Court Judicial Commissioner Rohani Ismail in an open court in Kuala Lumpur.

In late 2012, Hasan claimed that Khalid had prohibited the raiding and seizure of alcoholic beverages in 2009, and as a result, Khalid filed the suit on April 29, 2016.

In January last year, Justice Hue Siew Kheng of the High Court in Kuala Lumpur ordered Hasan to pay the amounts, but Hasan appealed to the Court of Appeal for a retrial, which was granted earlier this year.

The trial was supposed to go on today in the High Court before Rohani, but this was settled with Hasan, a former PAS vice-president, agreeing to pay the amounts.

Commenting on today's proceedings, Khalid said he is glad that the matter was settled amicably after he (Khalid) was also ordered to pay a similar amount for defaming Hasan.

"What is important is that Hasan wins and I win the case. In this case, I sue him and win.

"I am glad that this case is settled as I have other things to work and concentrate and focus on. This case is settled and now I will concentrate on my work," he said.

Although Khalid did not stipulate what work he was concentrating on, besides being an MP, it is learnt that he is slated to be the new Federal Territories minister under the Pakatan Harapan government.

His lawyer, Faiz Fadzil, explained that when the case was heard before Justice Hue, Hasan did not come to testify, resulting in the judge striking out his witness statement and order that the payment of damages be made before a retrial is ordered.

Hasan was represented by Nik Nuraisha Alia Hanafi.