KUALA LUMPUR: Green Party of Malaysia secretary-general Abdul Razak Ismail has expressed regret and retracted his statements concerning the redevelopment of the Shah Alam Sports Complex, particularly the Shah Alam Stadium, which he made against Malaysian Resources Corporation Bhd (MRCB).
According to The Scoop, Abdul Razak delivered his statement of regret in the Shah Alam High Court today as part of a settlement after MRCB sued him for defamation over several false and misleading claims he made on social media and in press statements.
"I deeply regret the press releases issued on March 21, 2023, and April 3, 2023, as well as the publications on my Facebook account under my name, which have caused offence," he said in court.
"I sincerely apologise for these publications."
As part of the consent judgment, he was required to read his statement to MRCB.
Judge Datuk Khadijah Idris, who presided over the case, thanked both parties for reaching an amicable resolution.
MRCB filed the lawsuit at the Shah Alam High Court on June 1 last year in response to Abdul Razak's statements made from March to June of last year, which alleged that the project to redevelop the Shah Alam Sports Complex was not awarded through a transparent tender process.
While Abdul Razak initially claimed his statements were aimed at the Selangor government, MRCB said that he specifically mentioned "MRCB" by name.
MRCB's lawyer, Datuk Selva Mookiah, said that the company sought to protect its reputation, as the allegations affected its integrity and governance.
He said that freedom of expression did not extend to the right to defame.
"Today marked the first day of trial, during which Abdul Razak expressed his regret, retracted his statements on social media, and entered into a consent judgment with MRCB. He also agreed to refrain from defaming MRCB in the future," Selva added.