FORMER inspector-general of police (IGP) Hanif Omar today apologised to DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang for saying the latter had attempted to separate Peninsular Malaysia into two parts based on race, and to split the Malay and Chinese communities.

The apology was read in the Kuala Lumpur High Court before judicial commissioner Quay Chew Soon today.

“I confirm that the plaintiff’s (Lim) arrest in 1969 was not on the basis that he called for the country to be divided according to racial lines,” Hanif said in his apology.

Hanif had allegedly made the statement while delivering a speech at the Karamah Bangsa Convention held at Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM), Shah Alam, on September 6, 2018, which was published by Malay daily Sinar Harian on the same day.

The Iskandar Puteri MP also accused Sinar Harian of acting maliciously by publishing the statement.

Lim filed a suit on October 17, 2018 against Hanif and Sinar Harian, claiming that the statement was defamatory. He also alleged that Hanif’s remark had tarnished his reputation as a lawmaker and a public figure.

Lim sought a retraction, general, aggravated and exemplary damages, as well as an injunction and apology to prevent them from repeating or republishing the statement.

Sinar Harian will also be publishing an open apology to Lim this week over their news report pertaining to Hanif’s comment.

The court ordered Sinar Harian to pay RM20,000 in costs to Lim.

In relation to Hanif’s counter claim against Lim’s comment that the former IGP created a “cock and bull story” over his 1969 detention under the now-repealed Internal Security Act (ISA), Lim retracted this statement.

“I express regret that this unfortunate incident occurred and retract my statement on September 7, 2018 against Tun Hanif,” he told the court. – September 20, 2021.