Sungai Besar Umno chief Jamal Yunos today issued an apology to former minister Khairy Jamaluddin in the High Court as part of a settlement in a defamation suit filed in 2023.
Jamal read out a statement of apology before Justice Anand Ponnudurai, referring to remarks made during a press conference held on Jan 14, 2023 at the World Trade Centre during the 2022 Umno general assembly.
Footage of the press conference was also uploaded to his Facebook and TikTok accounts.
Jamal admits allegations were false
During the press conference, Jamal linked Khairy to corrupt practices and alleged that the former Umno Youth chief had paid party delegates to create disruptions.
In court, Jamal admitted that the statements made against Khairy were false and without basis.
“I also admit that the statements carried the meaning that Khairy Jamaluddin lacks integrity and credibility as a leader, and that he was involved in corruption, which is entirely untrue,” he said.
Jamal also acknowledged that his remarks had damaged Khairy’s reputation and credibility.
Unconditional apology recorded in court
He expressed regret over his actions and offered an unconditional apology to Khairy for the distress and inconvenience caused.
Jamal further gave an undertaking that he would not repeat the statements in the future.
As part of the settlement, he also agreed to remove the statements from his social media accounts.
The terms of the settlement, including legal costs, were not disclosed in court.
Judge rejects request for courtroom photo
Following the proceedings, Jamal sought permission from the court to take a photograph with Khairy inside the courtroom.
However, the request was rejected by the judge.
Khairy was represented by lawyers Harshaan Zamani, Shakeel Saifuzzaman, Nur Aizat Noor Azam and Sheetal Kaur Arwinder Singh.
Jamal was represented by Fauzi Abdul Samad, Nasser Yusof and Imran Tamrin.
