FORMER prime minister Najib Razak is seeking RM10 million and an apology from former attorney-general Tommy Thomas for defaming him in his recently published memoir My Story: Justice in the Wilderness.

Najib’s lawyer, Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, said they have sent a letter of demand to Thomas and expect a reply by Friday.  

“If we do not receive a satisfactory reply from you by this Friday, our clear instruction is to institute legal proceedings early next week,” Shafee said in a statement.

Shafee said legal action is being taken based on chapter 42 of the memoir, under the title of Altantuya, which he (Thomas) have made very serious defamatory statements against Najib. 

In 2019, former chief inspector Azilah Hadiri said in a statutory declaration that Najib had a role in Mongolian model Altantuya Shaariibuu’s assassination, by directing the act. 

Azilah is currently in Kajang Prison awaiting execution, and is seeking a review of the Federal Court’s conviction in 2015.  

Also convicted is Corporal Sirul Azhar Umar of the same offence. Sirul then fled to Australia before the verdict was heard in court and is currently being held in Sydney.

Shafee said the defamatory statement taken in the entirety of the chapter and within its context, among other things, had imputed Najib of what is totally untrue.   

“That you (Thomas) believe the statutory declaration made by Azilah was fully consistent and supported by a statement of Sirul procured by a deputy public prosecutor that you have dispatched to Sydney at Villawood Detention Centre.   

“That the statements of the two convicted persons were truthful when they implicated our client (Najib) as directing the murder of Altantuya.”

He added that by clear inference and innuendo, Thomas had also conveyed the message that the attorney-general and public prosecutor were satisfied with the truthfulness of the allegations of the two convicted persons against Najib. 

“Pertaining to the purported allegations by them, that he was involved in directing them to murder Altantuya.  

“By clear and irresistible inference and innuendo, you (Thomas) have conveyed the message to all readers of your book that irrespective of the decisions of the courts, with respect to the murder trial of the two convicts, our client was nevertheless guilty of directing the murder of Altantuya.” 

Shafee said the statements were grossly negligent, reckless, irresponsible, deliberate, malicious and aimed to lower Najib’s esteem and good reputation in the eyes of the public and further expose his client to public hatred, scorn, odium, contempt and ridicule.   

“Your impugned statements of our client portraying him as a murderer by direct inference and innuendo are wholly untrue, false, frivolous, vexatious and devoid of substance nor evidence. 

“The statements are clearly motivated by mala fides and are principally done in your selfish pursuit of seeking cheap publicity, fuelled by your ego, sensationalism, and profiteering. 

“The above said selfish and mala fide motivation by you is crowned by your choice of the title of your book Justice in the Wilderness, which by itself is an “affront to the judiciary”.   

He said the statements have also caused considerable distress and embarrassment to Najib. 

“Further, you (Thomas) had deliberately made this statement in spite knowing the Federal Court has recently rejected the attempt to review their own decision in relation to the convictions of Azilah and Sirul.” 

Shafee said Najib is demanding an immediate and unequivocal public retraction of the statement from the book that Thomas has published.  

“An unqualified apology in terms to be approved by us as solicitors in respect of the impugned publication to be published in newspapers of our client’s choice, and an undertaking by yourself not to repeat the above allegations and comments.   

“Our client has also instructed us to demand damages from you for the injury caused to his reputation of RM10 million.” 

He also said Najib is demanding Thomas pay all legal costs that have so far been incurred with regard to this matter. – February 2, 2021.