PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and Pas' online mouthpiece Harakahdaily failed to settle a defamation suit over an online article on the 1Malaysia Development Bhd(1MDB) issue.
This was revealed by Najib's lawyer, Datuk Mohd Hafarizam Harun, when contacted today.
Hafarizam was confirming that the two defendants - Harakah's managing director Dr Rosli Yaakop and Harakahdaily chief editor Taufek Yahya - were unable to accept Najib' proposed terms of settlement. Harakah is Pas' bi-weekly newspaper.
In July, Najib had submitted the terms to both defendants for them to consider.
When contacted today, lawyer Wan Rohimi Wan Daud, who acts for Rosli and Taufek, said that his clients had rejected the settlement terms as they insisted for the suit to go for full hearing.
Rohimi added however that full hearing of the suit could only proceed once the Court of Appeal disposed of two related appeals by Najib.
Najib is appealing against the Kuala Lumpur High Court's refusal to allow him to amend his court papers and to dispose of the suit without a full hearing.
On April 7, the High Court rejected Najib's application to amend his statement of claim by inserting statements by Attorney-General Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
MACC had issued a statement on Aug 3 last year, stating that the RM2.6 billion deposited into Najib's account was a donation and did not come from 1MDB.
Apandi had made a statement on Jan 26 that cleared Najib of any wrongdoing in the donation and RM4 billion loan to SRC International issues.
On May 23, the High Court also denied Najib's application for the suit to be decided solely by questions of law, without the need to call witnesses to testify.
Najib's two related appeals will come up for case management before Court of Appeal President Tan Sri Md Raus Sharif on Dec 1.