KUALA LUMPUR, July 21 — Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has today demanded from Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin an apology and compensation of RM200 million within 24 hours, or risk a legal suit.
His lawyer Datuk Sankara Nair confirmed to Malay Mail that his client’s letter was served on the law firm representing Muhyiddin at 4.45pm today.
“Our client (Anwar) has insisted that your client (Muhyiddin) has on purpose and maliciously accused our client of publishing untruth that is out of context as contained in your client’s Letter of Demand dated July 18, 2023 and it is your client that has to apologise.
“In relation to that, our client has demanded that your client abide by the matters below within 24 hours from the date of this letter,” said SN Nair and Partners in the letter of demand to Muhyiddin.
In the letter today, apart from the RM200 million compensation, Muhyiddin is required to deliver an unconditional and unequivocal apology in a manner and form to be approved by Anwar, for publication in the newspapers and media of his choice.
The letter also stated that Muhyiddin is also required to withdraw his letter of demand and all defamatory statements that have been published on this matter in general, immediately and unequivocally and to delete or retract all offensive and defamatory comments.
“Your client also has to pay for all the legal fees that have been incurred in this matter,” the letter said.
On Tuesday, Muhyiddin who is Perikatan Nasional chairman sent a letter of demand to Anwar seeking an apology and retraction for claiming the former did not implement a debt waiver scheme for Felda settlers.
The letter of demand gave Anwar 24 hours from receipt to comply, failing which Muhyiddin’s lawyers would begin a defamation lawsuit against the Pakatan Harapan chairman.
On July 7, Anwar announced a restructuring programme that would wipe off most of the RM8.3 billion in debt amassed by Felda settlers, saying Muhyiddin failed to execute this when he was still the PM.
The next day, Muhyiddin insisted he had been responsible for executing this decision in 2021, accusing Anwar of lying to claim credit.
Anwar responded by saying Muhyiddin’s administration had only agreed to the debt waiver, but never followed through with it, which was why he could still do it now in 2023.
Among other things, Anwar said the funds for the programme were only allocated in the Budget 2023 that he tabled in February, and were nowhere to be seen in either Budget 2021 or 2022.
Backing Anwar, Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil said earlier Felda's debts were only paid this year.
Fahmi said that although the Muhyiddin administration had promised to waive Felda’s debts in 2021, the federal government had only last month arranged for the necessary funds to carry out the debt waiver.
Last night, Muhyiddin had insisted that it was not him and not Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim who had waived the Felda settlers’ debt, saying that he will proceed with his defamation lawsuit against Anwar.
