KUALA LUMPUR: Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) lecturer Dr Kamarul Zaman Yusoff has withdrawn his defamation suit against Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh.

Through a press release issued today, the Segambut Member of Parliament confirmed that Kamarul Zaman had filed a termination notice in court on Jan 30, 2024, with a cost of RM5,000 to be paid to her, without the freedom to file afresh.

"In 2020, Kamarul Zaman made the comment 'Using religion to win the state election?' on a banner featuring my image, insinuating that I employed religious tactics while campaigning during the Sabah election.

"His withdrawal of this defamation suit is not only timely but also confirms my steadfast position that I did not exploit race and religion in my campaign, rendering his accusations against me baseless and unsubstantiated," she said.

The minister also welcomed Kamarul Zaman's decision to withdraw his defamation suit.

In 2020, it was reported that Kamarul Zaman had sued Hannah over a Facebook post during the Sabah election.

Kamarul Zaman had posted a banner featuring Hannah's image, with the words "Peranan Umat Kristian Dalam Pembangunan Negara" (The role of Christians in nation-building).

-- BERNAMA