KUALA LUMPUR – Datuk Seri Najib Razak and former Attorney-General Tan Sri Tommy Thomas have resolved their legal dispute amicably, ending the defamation suit concerning Thomas’ memoir, My Story: Justice in the Wilderness.
Najib’s counsel, Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, informed the court that a settlement had been reached, resolving the matter “once and for all.”
The High Court was informed of the resolution by Shafee in proceedings before Judge Datuk Khadijah Idris, as reported by The Edge.
The defamation suit stemmed from allegations in Chapter 42 of the book, which linked Najib to the murder of Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu almost two decades ago. In addition to Thomas, the book’s distributor, GB Gerakbudaya Enterprise Sdn Bhd, was also named in the suit.
During the hearing, Alan Gomez, representing Thomas, read out a joint statement as part of the consent judgment. In the statement, Thomas reiterated his stance on the contents of Chapter 42, specifically regarding the statutory declarations of Sirul Azhar Umar and Azilah Hadri. However, he acknowledged that since the publication of the book, no evidence had been found linking Najib to the murder.
“I accept, however, that since the publication of my book in 2021, I am not aware of any evidence linking Najib to the murder of Altantuya Shaariibuu, although I understand that there have been investigations since the publication of the book,” the statement read.
Thomas agreed to the withdrawal of the suit, with no order as to costs, and further stated that should the book be reprinted, the statement would appear alongside the original controversial passages, currently located on pages 404 and 405 of the book.
Najib, who had consistently denied any involvement in the murder, filed the defamation suit in November 2021. He sought to have the defamatory passages removed from the book, which he claimed had unfairly suggested a criminal link to the murder.
The case had been delayed several times, including disputes over Najib’s witness statements, some of which were expunged by the court following objections from Thomas’ legal team.
The settlement, which includes the withdrawal of the suit without further litigation, has effectively put an end to the legal battle. – January 19, 2026