KUALA LUMPU, Feb 15 — The government has classified the settlement terms of Tan Sri Mohamad Apandi Ali’s lawsuit against Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad over his removal as the attorney general by the prime minister at the time, Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said disclosed today.

The law and institutional reform minister said the use of the Official Secrets Act 1972 was decided when the settlement was being negotiated.

"The civil suit has been settled outside the High Court with the consent of the government without any acknowledgment of liability.

"During settlement negotiations conducted for the settlement, the parties to this lawsuit, especially the plaintiff, represented by Shukor Baljit and Partners, and the Attorney General’s Chambers have agreed that the terms of the settlement be kept confidential and not disclosed to the public.

"In accordance with such consent, all communications in relation to the settlement negotiations as well as the terms of the agreed settlement have been classified as confidential according to the provisions of the Official Secrets Act 1972,” Azalina said in a written parliamentary reply.

She was answering DAP’s Ipoh Barat MP, M Kulasegaran, who asked the prime minister to state the total amount of compensation paid to Apandi in the civil suit.

In October 2020, Apandi sued Dr Mahathir and the government, seeking a declaration that his termination as the AG was unlawful.

The settlement was recorded before High Court Justice Datuk Akhtar Tahir, on April 13, 2022.