KUALA LUMPUR: Perikatan Nasional chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has filed a defamation suit against Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim over the Prime Minister’s claim that the former Perikatan-led government did not write off RM8.3bil in Felda settlers’ debt as pledged.
In his statement of claim filed at the High Court on Thursday, Muhyiddin is seeking RM400mil for exemplary and aggravated damages, as well as an unspecified sum in general damages.
He is also seeking the removal of Anwar’s statements from social media, Sinar Harian reported.
Muhyiddin said Anwar’s remarks implied that he had “lied” about the Felda settlers’ debt waiver.
On July 18, Muhyiddin sent a letter of demand to Anwar, seeking an apology and retraction from the Prime Minister for claiming that he (Muhyiddin) did not implement a debt waiver scheme for Felda settlers.
In an earlier reply filed through Rosli Dahlan Saravana Partnership, Muhyiddin denied all allegations in Anwar’s July 21 letter of demand.
In his letter of demand, Anwar demanded an apology and RM200mil in damages and for Muhyiddin to retract his letter of demand and all statements he deemed defamatory as well as legal costs.
Muhyiddin’s lawyers had previously issued a letter of demand to Anwar, insisting that he retract his comments.
However, the Prime Minister responded by accusing Muhyiddin of “twisting” his remarks and demanded that Muhyiddin apologise for taking them out of context.
Anwar had previously alleged that the Perikatan government had failed to provide any allocation in the 2021 and 2022 federal budgets to resolve the Felda debt issue.
He said it was only in this year’s Madani budget that RM990mil was set aside as an initial tranche towards resolving the debt.
