KUALA LUMPUR: A defamation suit filed by lawyer Datuk Zainul Rijal Abu Bakar against Syarie counsel Kamar Ainiah Kamaruzaman, who represented Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's in his qazaf case, has been settled out of the court after Kamar Ainiah openly apologised in the High Court here.

High Court Judge judicial commissioner Vazeer Alam Mydin Meera recorded the settlement in the presence counsel Nizam Bashir Abdul Kariem Bahir and Datuk Haaziq Pillay who acted for Zainur Rijal and Azhar Arman Ali for Kamar Ainiah here Wednesday.

"I commend both parties for reaching this amicable settlement in the holy month of Ramadan," he said.

Other than Kamar Ainiah, her law firm Messr Kamar Ainiah Razif & Zashidi had been named as second defendants.

Earlier, Kamar Ainiah read her settlement order before justice Vazeer.

She said that they had said certain things and their client had also said certain things to the press regarding plaintiff Zainul Rijal on Aug 18, last year.

"We understand that, whatever was said on that day had caused embarassment and distress to the plaintiff.

"We admit that we have no basis to support the allegations made. Consequently, we apologise, without any reservations and express our sincere regrets to Zainul Rijal for any mental distress, damage and suffering sustained by him and any suspicion which may arise and/or arose against him as a consequence of those allegations," she added.

Zainul Rijal had filed the suit against Kamar Ainiah and her law firm for RM10mil on Feb 13 over her alleged defamatory statements against him as a lawyer for three government officers in Anwar's qazaf (making false allegation) case.

The 43-year-old president of Muslim Lawyers Association of Malaysia claimed for a final order asking the defendants to retract any consent given to any third party to re-publish the defamatory words or any similar statement.

He sought a court order asking the defendants to help him get the slanderous words from any electronic database and Internet websites.

Among others, Zainul had asked for RM10mil in general damages, apart from special, exemplary and aggravated damages, interests, costs and any relief deemed fit by the court.

When met after the proceeding, Zainur Rijal said he was grateful that the case had been settled in a good way in the spirit of Ramadan.

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