High Court judge Mahazan Mat Taib recorded the settlement on the third day of trial today and thanked both parties for reaching an amicable resolution.
In a statement read out in court, Najib said he accepted that Dzulkefly had no involvement in the appointment of the Amanah man’s daughter, Nurul Iman, to Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia’s board of trustees in October 2018.
Dzulkefly, who is health minister currently, had also served in the post from May 2018 to February 2020.
“I accept that he had no involvement in her appointment and there was no nepotism on his part. I wish to clarify that the said post was not intended to be defamatory, nor was it intended to imply that the plaintiff was corrupt or involved in nepotism and cronyism,” said Najib.
“Rather, it was meant to highlight perceived double standards among political parties,” he said.
The former Pekan MP said the intention of his Facebook post published in 2020 was to serve as a general political commentary on broader issues of governance, administration, and appointments to government-linked entities.
These were matters of active public discourse and political debate, he added.
“While my post was a matter of political commentary, I acknowledge the distress it has caused Dzulkefly and his family, which was never my intention.
“In the spirit of moving forward constructively, I wish him the very best in his continued service to the people and the nation, and extend my sincere well wishes to him and his family,” said Najib.
The judge thanked all parties for settling the suit, saying it reflected Najib’s responsibility in restoring dignity to those affected by his remarks.
“I appreciate the effort of both parties in bringing this matter to a resolution, particularly in a matter of public interest involving prominent parties,” she said.
Dzulkefly, 70, filed the RM5 million suit in January 2022, alleging that Najib had published a defamatory Facebook post about him on Aug 24, 2020.
He claimed the post was intended to damage his reputation by implying that he practised nepotism by securing his daughter’s appointment to the board of Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia.
In his defence filed on March 29, 2022, Najib maintained the post referred to the Pakatan Harapan coalition, not Dzulkefly.
Counsel Stanley Sabastien Sinnappen represented Dzulkefly, while Shafee Abdullah and Farhan Shafee represented Najib.