Najib and Harakahdaily still negotiating over possible settlement

PUTRAJAYA: Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak (pix) and Harakahdaily are still negotiating on possible settlement of the defamation suit filed by the former against the PAS mouthpiece over 1Malaysia Development Berhad.
The Prime Minister's lawyer, Datuk Mohd Hafarizam Harun, told reporters today that both parties needed time to finalise the terms of the settlement.
He said Appeal Court President Tan Sri Md Raus Sharif had set Sept 26 for case management for the two sides to update the court on the matter.
Meanwhile, lawyer Wan Rohimi Wan Daud, who represented Harakahdaily, told reporters his client was open to more discussion for possible settlement.

Najib sued Harakah managing director Dr Rosli Yaakob and Harakahdaily chief editor Taufek Yahya over an alleged defamatory article written by Rosli and published on Feb 19, 2015.
In his statement of claim, Najib said the article portrayed him as having misused 1MDB funds and the publication of the article was intended to tarnish his reputation.
He also alleged that Taufek failed to practise responsible journalism and did not verify whether the contents in Rosli's article were accurate before publishing it.
On June 15, this year, Najib obtained an order from the Appeal Court to temporarily stay the hearing of his defamation suit against Harakahdaily pending disposal of two appeals.
One appeal was against the High Court's dismissal on April 7, this year, of an application by Najib to amend his statement of claim to include statements by Attorney-General Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali and Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission.
The other appeal was against the High Court's dismissal on May 23, this year, of Najib's application for the suit to be decided on points of law without going for full trial. — Bernama