Umno kalah! PAS menang! Husam hero! Nizar MB sah! Zambry MB mahkamah

BN rep apologises to Husam over false claims

The apology is seen as a boost to Husam, who will face two contenders for PAS deputy presidency this weekend in the party's muktamar.MORE

	Public apology in Beritan Harian
	Kelantan gov't to get a clean bill

From The Star Online:
KUALA LUMPUR: Umno assemblyman for Paloh Datuk Nozula Mat Diah, a defendant in a RM6 million defamation suit filed by Pas vice-president Datuk Husam Musa, issued a public apology Tuesday in a Malay daily.

The apology, which appeared on the notice’s page, read as follows:

“I, YB Datuk Nozula Mat Diah whole heartedly and unconditionally apologise to YB Datuk Husam Musa for making an untrue and baseless report against him to the Anti-Corruption Agency in 2007.

I hereby retract all my allegations and express my deepest regret because the allegations have caused stress to him and his family, and tarnished his character.”

According to Husam’s lawyer Ahmad Shabrimi Mohamed Sidek, the public apology was issued after an agreement between Husam and Nozula to settle the matter out of court.

Last Feb, Husam filed the defamation suit against the two Umno assemblyman, Nozula and Bukit Bunga assemblyman Mohd Adhan Kechik, and the New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd, seeking RM2mil in general damages following their press conference at the Kelantan state assembly in Nov 2007, which allegedly defamed him.

He is also seeking RM2 million in general damages from NSTP over the publication of the two articles in the New Straits Times and Berita Harian.

He also sought RM1mil in exemplary damages and another RM1 million in aggravated damages from the defendants.

“With this notice of apology, it is proof that all the wild accusations against our client was all slander, untrue and baseless.

“This also means that the state government is clean from all the alleged wrongdoings,” Ahmad Shabrimi told the press.

Husam claimed that at the press conference, Nozula and Mohd Adhan had made allegations that he had abused his power and was responsible for the mismanagement of Air Kelantan Sdn Bhd and that it had meant that he, as the state Public Administration, Finance, Economic Planning and Community Development Committee chairman, had abused his powers and was corrupt.

He claimed that these statements had tarnished his reputation as a politician and a party leader.

Husam had also sought for a public apology to be published in the local newspapers by the defendants and an order that they do not repeat it.

Ahmad Shabrimi added that they were in negotiations with the other defendants to settle the matter.