Kuala lumpur: Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak's defamation suit against former attorney-general Tan Sri Tommy Thomas and GB Gerakbudaya Enterprise Sdn Bhd over statements in a book regarding the murder of a Mongolian woman was settled amicably at the High Court here today. The settlement was recorded before Judge Datuk Khadijah Idris after both parties' counsel informed the court about the mutual agreement.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, representing Najib, stated that the settlement should put an end to all rumours involving his client. Thomas acknowledged that since the publication of the book "My Story: Justice in the Wilderness" in 2021, he was not aware of any evidence linking Najib to the murder of Altantuya Shaariibuu.
Muhammad Shafee described the outcome as a win, emphasizing the absence of evidence as admitted by the defendants. He mentioned that Thomas maintained his statement and opinion in Chapter 42 of the book, where the statutory declarations of former Special Operations Unit members Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri and Corporal Sirul Azhar Umar corroborated one another.
Thomas agreed that if the book is reprinted, a clarification should be included on the same page as the disputed passage currently on pages 404 and 405. Thomas had no objection to the withdrawal of the civil action without any order as to costs, while GB Gerakbudaya fully accepted Thomas's position.
Muhammad Shafee conveyed his client's satisfaction with the settlement, highlighting that Najib was relieved after years of facing pressure due to the lack of direct evidence and false rumours linking him to the murder case.
In his October 11 testimony, Najib stated that he never instructed the UTK members to kill Altantuya Shaariibuu in 2006, as he had never met her. Najib, former Pekan MP, filed the suit in 2021 against Thomas and GB Gerakbudaya Enterprise Sdn Bhd, claiming the book linked him to Altantuya's murder and affected his reputation.
Najib sought damages and the removal of defamatory statements from the book, which was published and distributed in Malaysia and worldwide in early 2021.