SHAH ALAM – Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has failed to get Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to produce documents which backed his alleged defamation claims against the former in their ongoing defamation suit.
His application – which was filed on July 21 requesting for court to compel Anwar to produce several documents including reports on the alleged bailout of Konsortium Perkapalan Bhd (KPB) by Petronas and Malaysia International Shipping Corporation (MISC) in 1997 – has been dismissed by high court judge Zaharah Hussain this morning.
The judge justified the dismissal saying that such allegation was of an event that had occurred in the past and it was not specified in a document.
However, she said, if such documents do exist, then it will be used as Anwar’s defence in the suit and that it has to be submitted during pre-trial case management.
Zaharah also dismissed the application with RM2,000 cost and fixed November 3 for case management.
Mahathir, on May 5, had filed a RM150 million defamation suit against Anwar over the latter’s statements that alleged the former prime minister of being a racist and having enriched himself as well as his family members during his 22-year tenure as the Prime Minister.
Mahathir, in his letter of demand claims that Anwar has made the statement during his speech at Melawati Stadium, here, on March 18.
However, Anwar, in his statement of defence, claimed that Mahathir’s lawsuit filed against him aimed to undermine the government’s as well as his credibility. – October 2, 2023