Settler withdraws defamatory post on Ismail Sabri

A 59-year-old Felda settler has today agreed to withdraw a purported defamatory Facebook post regarding former Rural Development Minister, Ismail Sabri Yaakob. The post alleged that Ismail had abused his power and held briefings regarding development projects in his Bera constituency in the Umno division headquarters.

Following the withdrawal, Zaid Omar, who is also a contractor, has been given 48 hours to upload a retraction on Facebook.

The consent judgment was recorded before Kuala Lumpur High Court judge Justice Mohd Firuz Jaffril today, when the lawyers from both parties entered the judge's chambers.

Lawyer Latheefa Koya along with Shahid Adli Kamarudin appeared for Zaid while Samsinaralia Sahar appeared for Ismail.

Zaid will have to carry the following statement using his Facebook account:

"Saya telah disaman oleh Ismail Sabri, bekas menteri KKLW atas posting di akaun Facebook saya bertarikh Sept 26, last year, di mana saya telah katakan bahawa sejak Ismail jadi menteri, taklimat kerja KKLW telah dibuat di pejabat Umno dan 30 kerja undi tertutup di jalankan di Giatmara Bandar 32 Bera.

Saya dengan ini menarik balik pengataan tersebut dan menyiarkan perkara ini sebagaipenyelesaian sepenuhnya terhadap saman tersebut. Saya akujanji untuk tidak mengulangipengataan ini."

(I have been sued by Ismail Sabri, the former rural development minister, over my Facebook post on Sept 26, where I had alleged that since Ismail became minister, briefings on ministry projects were made at the Umno offices and 30 contracts were awarded by closed selection for Giatmara, Bandar 32, Bera.

With this, I withdraw my previous statement and am issuing this statement as a full settlement of the lawsuit. I undertake not to repeat such a statement.)

Latheefa said with the settlement, her client need not pay any damages or costs. Initially, the whole of this week was fixed to hear the suit.

It was reported last week that Ismail who is also Umno vice-president, had sued Zaid for alleging he had abused his ministerial power in awarding contracts.

Claiming the post was defamatory, Ismail said it suggested that he had abused his position as a minister, bypassed the ministry’s director-general to appoint a contractor for GiatMara in Bera, and engaged another contractor to revitalise an abandoned low-cost housing project there.

Zaid claimed the briefing for the projects were done in the Bera Umno building.

Ismail claimed Zaid had acted in bad faith when he posted on Facebook, without seeking clarification from him before putting it up. He further claimed the post suggested he was not qualified to be a minister.

"The allegation is an attack to my reputation, character, and resulted in me facing public odium," Ismail said in his statement of claim.

He had sought general damages of RM500,000, as well as aggravated and exemplary damages and an injunction to prevent the plaintiff from further making the alleged defamatory statements. - Mkini