Najib has already withdrawn similar suits against former MCA president Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik and DAP MP Tony Pua. — Reuters pic

KUALA LUMPUR, Jun 1 — Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has withdrawn his defamation suit against Harakah and Harakahdaily over allegations of misuse of 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) funds.

Najib's counsel Nor Emelia Mohd Iszeham disclosed this to reporters after meeting High Court Judge Datuk Hue Siew Kheng in chambers along with lawyer Wan Rohimi Wan Daud, who represented Harakah managing director Dr Rosli Yaakob and Harakahdaily editor-in-chief Taufek Yahya, the defendants.

Nor Emelia said her client retracted the suit against the two defendants with no liberty to file afresh.

However, the terms of the retraction of the suit were not disclosed to reporters. The suit was later struck out by the court.

On March 18, 2015, Najib filed a suit against Rosli and Taufek for publishing on Feb 19, 2015, an article alleged to be defamatory written by Rosli with regard to 1MDB.

In his statement of claim, Najib, who is also Pekan MP, alleged that the article portrayed him as having misused 1MDB funds and that its publication was intended to tarnish his reputation.

He also claimed that Taufek had failed to practice responsible journalism and did not confirm whether the contents of Rosli's article were accurate before publishing it.

Najib said the two defendants deliberately published the article with a personal agenda to undermine the people's confidence in him.

This is the third lawsuit Najib has withdrawn recently. He retracted the suits, also in relation to 1MDB, against former MCA president Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik on May 22 and Damansara MP Tony Pua Kiam Wee and Mediarakyat.net portal owner Chan Chee Kong on May 28. — Bernama