KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is trying to take credit for actions taken by the previous Perikatan Nasional (PN)-led government to write off Federal Land Development Authority (Felda) settlers' debt in 2021, the High Court heard.
PN chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin claimed Anwar was trying to create confusion to demean and undermine his contribution to gain admiration and gratitude from the society and the Felda settlers.
"Anwar was being populist at the expense of Muhyiddin and in total disregard to the damage caused to the latter and his family.
"His preoccupation to be populist is by claiming credit for action taken by Muhyiddin as per Malay proverb: 'lembu punya susu, sapi dapat nama'. (Do not let someone else take credit for your work)," he claimed.
Muhyiddin made this contention in his recent defamation lawsuit against the PKR president filed at the High Court here yesterday.
He claimed that the documents revealed by Anwar during a press conference as "proof" that he had signed off the purported settlement were not the Felda settlers' debt write off.
"These documents, as confirmed by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) and the Finance Ministry (MoF) themselves, relate to Felda's RM9.9 billion Sukuk and the government's 10-year grant of RM990 million per annum to Felda.
"Anwar was either ignorant or improperly briefed or had deliberately manipulated the Sukuk document and passed it off as the Felda Settlers' debt write-off," he claimed.
Muhyiddin also claimed PMO and MoF media statements in relation to the RM9.9 billion Sukuk are attempts to twist, manipulate, and mislead the public of this issue.
"The plaintiff pleads that both statements are mala fide acts to support the defamatory statements in order to tarnish the plaintiff's reputation as well as to boost the defendant's own public image.
"The defendant, as the prime minister and also finance minister, must be aware of the clear difference between the Felda Settlers' Debt Write-Off and the Felda RM9.9 billion Sukuk.
"However, the defendant chose to make the defamatory statements which are wholly untrue, unjustified, mala fide and made without any basis whatsoever." he claimed.
Muhyiddin is seeking exemplary damages commensurating with the RM200 million compensation claimed by the Pakatan Harapan chairman recently.
Anwar, on July 21, sent a letter of demand against Muhyiddin seeking RM200 million in compensation from the latter for damaging his reputation over the issue.
Anwar also demanded an unconditional and unequivocal apology from the former prime minister which must be published in the newspapers.
The Tambun member of parliament said he had signed a debt waiver scheme for Felda settlers with accompanying proof.
Muhyiddin, however, reiterated that the "proof" released by Anwar is not a debt waiver agreement for Felda settlers and instead claimed that it is an agreement on government-backed sukuk.
He said the finance ministry's media release also confirmed that Anwar signed off a government guarantee of RM9.9 billion and not the settlement for Felda settlers' debt of RM8.3 billion as he had signed it while he was in power in 2021.
Muhyiddin insisted he was responsible for executing the decision in 2021, and accused Anwar of lying to claim credit.
Anwar responded by saying Muhyiddin's administration had only agreed to the debt waiver but never followed through with it, which was why he could still do it now in 2023. Anwar released documents to prove that he was the one who had signed a debt waiver scheme for Felda settlers.
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