Robert Phang settles RM100m defamation suit against former IGP

SHAH ALAM: The RM100 million defamation suit filed by Social Care Foundation chairman Tan Sri Robert Phang Miow Sin against Tan Sri Musa Hassan was settled today, after the former inspector-general of police issued a statement of apology at the Civil High Court here.
The suit was made against a defamatory statement issued by Musa in a press conference on a programme organised by Malaysian Crime Watch Task Force (MyWatch) on Dec 10, 2012.
A news portal even uploaded a video on it. In the statement of apology, Musa admitted that he had issued a defamatory statement against Phang, that he retracted his allegation and that he regretted the action.
"I issued the statement of apology to protect the good name of the Royal Malaysian Police," Musa told reporters when met outside the courtroom.
Judicial Commissioner Datuk Rozana Ali Yusoff recorded the settlement and ordered Musa, as the defendant, to pay the legal cost of RM10,000 to the plaintiff (Phang) as cost of case settlement.
Musa was represented by counsels Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Abdul Rahman, Datuk Rabinder Singh and S. Selvarajah, while Phang was represented by lawyer S. N. Nair, K. Muralidharan and Lee Wing Hong.
Phang filed the RM100 million defamation suit against Musa on Jan 4, 2013, claiming that the defendant had uttered words that implied that the plaintiff was insincere, untrustworthy and unethical, during the press conference.
Phang also claimed that Musa's statement had given the impression that he is a liar, corrupt, had committed a crime and could be sentenced to prison, and had the tendency to interfere with the workings of the police force. – Bernama