KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Khairy Jamaluddin failed to settle out of court the former opposition leader’s defamation suit against the Youth and Sports Minister.

Anwar’s counsel J. Leela confirmed that the parties could not reach an agreement on resolving the suit during the chamber matter before High Court judicial commissioner S. Nantha Balan today.

On Tuesday, Leela broached the suggestion that Anwar and Khairy try mediation while in Nantha’s chambers.

She also said that Nantha warned parties that the court would no longer accept any application to postpone the matter, and fixed Feb 19 for case management.

The suit was previously set for hearing for three days beginning March 7. Counsel Sarah Malini Abishegam appeared for Khairy, who is also Umno Youth chief.

Anwar, who used to be Permatang Pauh member of parliament (MP), filed the suit on March 7, 2008, claiming that Khairy uttered defamatory words about him during a ceramah at Lembah Pantai on Feb 20 the same year.

The words by Khairy, who is also Rembau MP, were published on several online portals like Malaysiakini, which carried an article titled “Anwar and Kin no Threat”.

Anwar alleged the words implied he was involved in unnatural sexual activities that contravened Islam and being of immoral character.

He seeks aggravated and exemplary damages as well as an injunction to prevent Khairy from repeating such statements against him. -NST