Umno-owned daily Utusan Malaysia today agreed to issue an unconditional apology to PKR president-elect Anwar Ibrahim over an article implying that he had bribed the judiciary and the Attorney-General's Chambers.

Lawyer Azhar Arman Ali, appearing for Utusan Melayu (M) Bhd, said the apology will be published in the newspaper on an undetermined date as parties have yet to finalise the wording and terms of the settlement.

"I have received an instruction today to state that Utusan has agreed to apologise, but the terms would be finalised on Sept 28," he said.

Azhar said this after meeting Judicial Commissioner Faizah Jamaluddin in chambers, along with lawyers Sangeet Kaur Deo for Anwar, Lim Qi Si for TV3, and Hasnal Rezua Merican for Mazlan.

Last week, it was reported that Mazlan and TV3 had agreed to settle the matter out of court. 

In his statement of claim filed in 2015, Anwar said former BN candidate for Permatang Pauh Mazlan Ismail uttered the defamatory and malicious words in a press conference on Aug 2, 2013.

He also claimed that Mazlan had caused TV3 to air the alleged defamatory words on its primetime news broadcast Buletin Utama, and Utusan to publish it the following day, without contacting him for verification.

Anwar also pointed out that Mazlan had lost the Permatang Pauh seat to him by a difference of 11,721 votes in the 2013 general election.

As a result, he added, he was seriously defamed and brought to contempt and public ridicule, resulting in him suffering losses and damages.