Muhyiddin’s lawyer Rosli Dahlan said the terms of the settlement were disclosed to Justice Hayatul Akmal Abdul Aziz, with the trial – which was scheduled to resume today – now vacated.

Both Muhyiddin and Puad shook hands before Hayatul prior to recording the settlement.

“The defendant will read out an agreed statement, and Puad will publish it on his Facebook page,” said Rosli.

Rosli, who was assisted by Bahri Yeow, said the other terms of the settlement would remain confidential.

Puad, an Umno Supreme Council member was represented by Shahril Madisa.

In his statement, Puad, who is now the Johor state assembly speaker, said he regretted the inconveniences caused due to the Facebook post on Feb 9, 2021 which Muhyiddin said was defamatory and untrue.

“I thank him (Muhyiddin) for not prolonging the matter and regret any inconvenience caused,” he said.

“He obtained an ex-parte injunction and I removed the article from all of my social media (accounts).

“The issue came about when the nation was facing the Covid-19 pandemic. Since then, the government has contained the disease and the country is no longer undergoing a pandemic.”

Muhyiddin, who was prime minister between March 2020 and August 2021, alleged that Puad had defamed him in the Facebook post titled “Kuarantin pun ada dua darjat?” (“Are there double standards even for quarantines?”)

Muhyiddin filed the suit in his personal capacity on March 1, 2021, after a letter of demand to Puad, seeking the removal of the post, a public apology and RM10 million in compensation, went unmet.

Muhyiddin said Puad’s post implied that the former prime minister had refused to undergo a 10-day quarantine upon his return from an official visit to Indonesia.

He said the post contained statements that were untrue, unsubstantiated and mischievous, and were defamatory.

He also asked for general, exemplary and aggravated damages from Puad.