Singapore — National marathoner Soh Rui Yong offered to drop the 2019 defamation lawsuit he filed against Malik Aljunied mid-trial on Monday (Jan 17), but this was rejected by the former Singapore Athletics (SA) executive director.
Mr Gerard Quek, the lawyer for the runner, had been instructed by Soh, 30, to put it on record “to resolve the matter,” he said on Monday, the fifth day of the trial.
Mr Malik did not at once accept or reject the offer, which only stood for one day when it was first given.
However, Mr Mahmood Gaznavi, who is Mr Malik’s lawyer, told The Straits Times (ST) at the day’s end that the offer would be rejected.
On Aug 19, 2019, Roh’s lawyers issued a Letter of Demand for Defamation to Mr Malik due to a Facebook post he had put up.
The former SA director had posted a photo of himself holding two children, whom he hoped would one day run in the 400m hurdles event. He wrote that they should be careful of the marathon because this could “end up messing up with your mind and heart.”
Additionally, in a comment, Mr Malik wrote about “one particular runner” whom he did not name, but whom he wrote had a “messed up sense of logic and reason beyond repair,” for whom he felt “really sorry.”
And in a further comment, he said “it seemed to have drained him of empathy, compassion, gratitude, and the capability to love others…”
The Aug 2019 letter sent from Clarence Lun, Mr Soh’s lawyer, said that Mr Malik could only be referring to Mr Soh in the Facebook post.
Mr Malik said at the trial last Friday (Jan 14) that he took down the post after around 15 hours as it had not been “in good taste.”
On Jan 17, Mr Quek said that the runner is “satisfied with the concessions made by (Malik) on the stand on Friday” and “feels in his own way vindicated”.
Soh’s lawyer added that the marathoner believes that continuing with the lawsuit is “not necessary or good for the sport” and that he does not want prominent sports figures, who are witnesses for Mr Malik and for whom Soh says he has much respect, to have to go “through the unpleasant experience of cross-examination”.
However, the offer to withdraw the suit should not be perceived as an admission that Soh’s case is weak.
“In fact my client believes his claim has been strengthened,” the lawyer added.
Had Mr Malik agreed to Soh’s offer, this would have meant the lawsuit would discontinue within five days of the former SA executive director’s acceptance of the offer, with both parties agreeing no order for costs. /TISG
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